As artificial intelligence shapes more aspects of life, its integration into faith systems raises new theological questions, and experts say churches must prepare.
The Barna Group, in partnership with Gloo – the faith-based technology platform connecting people to local churches and others – surveyed ministry leaders to reveal what they think about AI and the Church.
“One of the questions we asked is, ‘Do you think God can work through AI?’ “And we found a huge number of pastors who say, ‘God CAN work through AI,'” said Ashley Ekmay, lead researcher at the Barna Group.
Ekmay and other partners hope the survey will help church leaders be more informed about how their peers are feeling, hoping to spark a conversation that will fuel debate within the church around responsible use of artificial intelligence. The widespread adoption of AI in the digital world means it exists where you least expect it.
“(AI) is everywhere, it’s in social media – when you go to Netflix, it’s in your home – digital assistants,” Ekmay said.
As AI quietly weaves itself into nearly every aspect of our lives, researchers like Ekmay say it’s time for the Church to join the conversation. This is why they are studying what Christians think about AI and its use in the Church.
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Although he acknowledges that God can work through AI, Ekmay said that many congregants do not particularly trust AI in the Church, saying that pastors in particular are the ones demonstrating the most worry.
Study results found that one in ten American adults frequently use artificial intelligence. In the church, more than half of the faithful think that AI is not good to use in the church. Research suggests that this shows significant hesitation or skepticism about its role in religious contexts.
“There is nothing new under the Sun,” Ecclesiastes would say, “and God is not surprised by AI,” said Brad Hill, director of solutions at Gloo.
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Hill sees AI as the key to transforming Gloo’s workflow, connecting people to local churches.
“We used to use a manual process to review a manual request and match it to the correct church,” Hill said. “So we reduced this (process) from about 3 hours to a few milliseconds.”
Gloo is investing approximately $25 million in AI implementation in the Church, including research and development. Hill says the initiative will enable the Church to responsibly navigate and engage with the AI landscape. One of its first components will be the first of its kind hackathonrallying American developers to help advanced AI-based technology serve the faith ecosystem.
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Hill and Ekmay agree that if your church isn’t talking about AI, it’s time to develop a plan of action.
“We’ve really tried to invite pastors into a conversation that they may or sometimes may not want to have, because it’s understandable to the untrained eye that AI looks like technology, and that’s a thing of more to learn,” Hill said. “Pastors regularly tell us that they sometimes feel like they need to become experts in everything.”
It’s not just churches and businesses that are at risk of falling behind, our government is also struggling to keep pace with this rapidly evolving technology. The House and Senate are proposing bills that would study liability and risks related to AI. So far, they have only collected commitments from AI companies to ethically self-regulate.
Recently, the world’s first AI regulations are expected to be unveiled in the European Union. The AI Act will use a risk-based system, setting clear standards for AI developers. The proposal is currently undergoing the legislative process within the EU. Once adopted, it could serve as a model for similar regulations globally.
Meanwhile, the Biden administration wants Congress to provide $2.6 billion to fund a program that would make government AI resources more widely available to researchers.
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Dr. Subodh Kumar, a data scientist at Temple University, sees the lack of regulation as a combination of Congress’s need to better understand AI while allowing it to thrive in the areas of national security and economic development.
“Policymakers and organizations are also responsible (regarding regulation),” Dr Kumar said. “They must both hold themselves to the highest standards.”
In the meantime, as AI developers self-regulate, users will need to do the same, not only to protect themselves, but more importantly to protect their children.
“Parents share too much information about their children,” Dr. Kumar said. “And as a user, the best way to protect ourselves right now is to control this.”
