In a previous big idea piece, we traced the familiar pattern of technological diffusion—from silk to the internet—and saw how Mustafa Suleyman, in The Coming Wave, describes the same dynamic at work today. Once a powerful technology begins, it does not stop. It grows cheaper, easier to use, and spreads farther and deeper into society than its inventors ever intended. Suleyman’s central claim is that we are now entering a new wave defined by two general-purpose technologies that touch the foundations of human existence itself: artificial intelligence (the engineering of intelligence) and synthetic biology (the engineering of life).

These are not incremental tools. They are the most general-purpose technologies imaginable because they operate on the two pillars that make us human—our capacity to think and the living systems that sustain us. AI systems learn, reason, generate language, code, images, and plans at increasing speed and scale. Synthetic biology, accelerated by tools such as CRISPR and falling costs of DNA sequencing and synthesis, makes it possible to read, rewrite, and eventually print biological systems. When the two converge, the possibilities multiply: AI can design genetic sequences or laboratory protocols; biology can give AI physical presence in the world.

Suleyman identifies four features that make this wave uniquely difficult to manage.

Asymmetry means small actors can wield outsized power. A capable individual or small group can now access tools that once required nation-state resources.

Hyper-evolution describes the blistering pace of improvement. Models and biological techniques advance in months rather than decades.

Omni-use means the same technology can heal or harm, create abundance or enable disruption, depending on the intention of the user.

Autonomy points to systems that increasingly operate with less continuous human oversight.

Together these features create what Suleyman calls the containment problem. Containment is the capacity to steer, limit, or, if necessary, shut down a technology at any stage of its development or deployment so that its benefits outweigh its harms. History shows that most technologies eventually proliferate; the incentives of profit, national competition, scientific openness, and human ambition push them outward. For AI and synthetic biology, meaningful containment is harder than it was for nuclear weapons or even the early internet because the tools themselves are becoming cheaper, more accessible, and more capable at the same time.

This is why the questions raised earlier about genome editing are not distant science fiction. Synthetic biology is already making it easier to alter the human genome. The technical possibility is advancing. The moral and spiritual question remains the one we must keep before our children: Will we treat human beings as raw material to be optimized according to current cultural preferences, or will we continue to receive life as gift—made in the image of God, with Him as the author and finisher of our story?

As parents (or believers without kids) who believe the Word of God, we do not have the luxury of passive optimism or paralyzing fear. Suleyman himself argues that we need the benefits of these technologies while refusing to accept either uncontained catastrophe or a surveillance dystopia as the only options. The narrow path he describes is difficult. For those of us raising children in the faith, that path runs through identity, values, and deliberate formation.

Our children will grow up inside this wave. They will be offered tools that promise to make them “10x” more productive, more creative, more competitive. Some of those tools will be genuinely useful. Others will quietly reshape how they understand what it means to be human. The advertisements and programs already appearing will not pause for theological reflection. That work belongs to us.

Begin by teaching them how the technology actually works—not merely how to prompt a chatbot, but the deeper pattern of data, tokens, attention mechanisms, iterative improvement, and the absence of the “God factor.” Help them see that a system can mimic reasoning and pattern recognition without possessing wisdom, conscience, or eternal purpose. Talk openly about the difference between using a tool and being formed by it.

Keep the non-negotiables clear and on repeat: human beings are image-bearers, not products; identity is received from God, not engineered by culture or code; character—perseverance, temperance, love, joy in the Lord, peace—cannot be automated and will only grow more valuable as machines handle more cognitive labor. Merge these truths into ordinary conversations about school projects, career possibilities, and the news of the day.

Encourage agency rather than mere consumption. The same wave that threatens to displace routine work also lowers barriers to creating, building, and serving. Equip your children to become producers—whether through entrepreneurship, skilled trades, ministry, or thoughtful use of AI as a collaborator under human moral direction. A generation that understands the technology, refuses to surrender its identity, and practices real competence will have a competitive edge that no credential alone can supply.

Finally, do not attempt this in isolation. You need community (here at Educating for Complexity with Margo and within your community near home). Gather with other parents who share the same convictions. Share observations, test tools together, and plan how your families will navigate the coming years. The wave is already breaking. Proliferation is the default. Containment at the societal level remains uncertain. It is clear the guard rails are gone and there are only a few of us trying to hold the wolves away. But be encouraged, the Lord your God has a remnant and the formation of the next generation of image-bearers is still within our reach.

We cannot stop the wave. We can raise children who know who they are, what cannot be negotiated, and how to walk faithfully inside it. Be blessed.