I wonder if AI will have something to do with the image of the beast.
If my understanding of the Mark of the Beast is correct, it definitely is a tool for that.
My understanding is that the Mark of the Beast is the use of force to achieve goodness. It’s hinted in Scripture that God uses reason to achieve goodness and Satan, and man, uses force to achieve his understanding of goodness.
AI can cut you off from bodily needs, if you aren’t following man and Satan’s understanding of goodness, forcing you to choose between being able to eat and going your way or dying anonymously and ignobly if you don’t comply.
This is already being used in China, where your phone has to maintain a green status in order to be able to function in society. If your phone turns red when scanning an QR code, you will be denied whatever the government can deny you.