(RNS) — Rarely a day passes without a “Left Behind” joke being fired in my direction.
I wrote the series with minister Tim LaHaye – apocalyptic novels based on the Bible’s teaching about the End Times, where millions suddenly vanish and those left must confront eternity. More than 30 years on, the books have sold over 63 million copies, and still sell thousands every month.
These days, though, I’m hearing that phrase in a very different context, as writers ask whether they risk being “left behind” in the age of artificial intelligence.
AI is reshaping all aspects of society, and the creative space is no different. We’ve seen AI-generated musical “artists” break into the charts – some with hits – their songs generated digitally with no human voice.
In the writing sector, AI can in seconds generate articles and in minutes entire books. Publishers tell me they contractually prohibit AI-written manuscripts, yet they admit using AI to produce ideas, suggest titles and predict how well a book might perform. They use it even to help determine whether someone’s work has been AI-generated. Some use it to help decide what makes it to print.
That should get every writer’s attention. Naturally, many fear that AI – which appears to get exponentially better by the day – will soon put them out of business.
But let me say this plainly: Christian writers won’t become obsolete anytime soon — not if I have anything to do with it.
In my online writers guild, I try to pass my more than half-century of experience to aspiring writers. My team has found that more than 80% of Americans believe they have a book in them. But one of the most common questions we hear is whether being published remains a valid dream in the face of AI.
My answer is a resounding yes.
While I seem to constantly harp on the idea that one should never allow AI to write for you, I also acknowledge that AI is a research miracle. I use it at least two dozen times a day to gather information, uncover angles I might have never considered, and even suggest ways to sharpen my thinking. Used properly, it can make any writer more efficient and better informed.
But here’s the rub: Technology cannot — and will never be able to — do the work that actually matters. It cannot do what I strive to train writers. It can’t write from conviction, from the overflow of the passions of the heart.
And most importantly, it cannot hear the voice of God. It might be able to imitate writers — but it can never replace them.
Writing that bears eternal, supernatural truth cannot be artificially produced. It must be personally, individually created — not by merely tapping some keys, but through the grueling process of digging into your soul for the perfect sentence, the perfect word, the perfect lived experience.
The real danger isn’t that AI threatens to replace writers, but that writers begin to imitate it, producing safe, predictable, surface-level work that lacks depth and authority. When that happens, we lose more than originality. We lose our voice.
Writers of faith are called to speak into the world, not cater to it. Our mandate is to write with clarity, courage and purpose. Fellow wordsmiths, we have a duty to write what matters. That requires time in Scripture, an ear open to God and a willingness to wrestle with the questions people are really asking.
Use AI to speed your research. Take advantage of its ability to quickly present facts. But never allow it to write for you. The often painful process of writing is not an obstacle to avoid but rather is necessary to convey Truth with a capital T. It’s what makes a writer a Christian writer.
So, write what matters. Write truth that will remain. Everything else will be left behind.
(Jerry B. Jenkins has written more than 200 books, including 21 New York Times bestsellers. He’s hosting the Pinnacle Christian Writers Conference at Colorado Christian University from April 17-19, where he’ll be joined by Anne Graham Lotz, Angela Hunt, James Scott Bell and many others. The views expressed in this commentary do not necessarily reflect those of Religion News Service.)