AI is fast becoming part of our lives.
So what?
While it is easy to see how this technology is relevant to IT professionals, business leaders and geeks (like myself), how does it impact those pursuing Christian ministry? In this blog, I put forth the five main reasons why I think Christian leaders should be paying attention to AI (and why I started a blog about it).
1. AI Will Directly Impact Those You Minister To
Professionals in all areas will experience some type of disruption because of the rise of AI. Drivers, accountants and loan officers may become unemployed. Lawyers will have to re-learn to practice their profession alongside digital assistants. Business leaders will face competitive pressures to adopt AI technologies or see their business become obsolete. They may not identify AI as the culprit yet they will feel the distress caused by it and will be in search for answers.
Disruption is bound to cause anxiety, confusion and fear. While the church has been in the business of comforting the afflicted for centuries, we have not always done this in an informed manner. Understanding the implications of the upcoming 4th industrial revolution to come from these technologies can help you better speak to the lives of those affected by it. Not all of it will be negative, in fact much will be positive. Yet, fast change has a way to disorient us often causing us to resist it.
2. AI is Changing How We Relate to Each Other
As computers become more human-like, relationships are taking a new dimension. In a time where isolation increases, many will be looking for virtual companionship. What one could only find through human interaction will now become possible with highly intelligent machines. This can take place in many ways such as acquiring a companion robot, finding partners or friends through AI enhanced applications to pursuing intimacy with sexbots. The movie Her depicts a world where people engage in monogamous relationships with AI applications. This will become possible in the near future.
If you think gay marriage is a challenge, try marriage with robots? Experts predict that marriage to robots will become legal by 2050. If your parishioner wants to marry his/her android, will you officiate it? While this is still far off, the transition to this reality will start now as computer interfaces become more personable.
3. AI Can be Conduit for Missions and Incarnational Ministries
While AI will eliminate jobs, it will also foster new industries that don’t exist today. As AI applications become more common, there will be a tremendous demand for people with the skills to operate, fix and create tools based on these technologies. The education for these jobs does not exist and only a handful of degrees can prepare you to thrive in these new professions. This is truly where the church has a great opportunity by moving into this area early. Some AI professionals may already sit in your pews. Maybe it is time you invite them for coffee.
This could work for Christians of all denominations. Evangelicals could enter new missionary frontiers through business as mission that introduce this technology to developing countries. Mainliners could devise vibrant incarnational ministries around AI education and social empowerment. These are just a few examples but you get the picture. If the future of opportunity is in AI, then let’s carve out a space to live out the gospel in it.
4. AI Can Take The Study of Scriptures to a Whole New Level
AI can take your Bible software to a whole new level. Through natural language processing algorithms, we will soon be able to detect sentiment, do in-depth research in large bodies of texts and even summarize the life-work of great theologians in a matter of instants. We will move away from word searches to the researching ideas or themes implicit in the text. Imagine you want to prepare a message in the theme of joy. Not only you’ll be able to find all verses that contain the word joy but also actual examples where Biblical characters felt joy even if the words themselves were not spelled out. You will also be able to find passages with joyful tones through sentiment analysis. Suddenly, you will have many new avenues to explore the biblical text which before would require painstaking work to accomplish.
The possibilities do not end in research but also extend to producing new content. While the AI preacher is still a far cry, soon you will be able to enlist AI in crafting life-changing sermons and/or analyzing past sermons in new ways. By training AI applications with past sermons, the computer could create new sermons that align with your past style and theological emphasis. It is not that you would outsource the creative process to a software but using it could enhance your ability to communicate effectively. In short, new tools will be available for those who enjoy in-depth studies or want to improve on their communication skills.
5. AI Needs Christian Voices in the Conversation
Historically, Christians have been notorious in entering social conversations late. When we do it, our response is reactive, uninformed and grossly ineffective. My hope is that we address this challenge differently. While we are firmly grounded in the past through tradition, that should not hinder us from walking boldly into the future. The emergence of AI has profound implications to our humanity. Some even believe that our identity as a species will be altered. All of this is uncharted territory fraught with obstacles and great ethical dilemmas. If we believe our faith has something to say as humanity experiments with super intelligence then we need to make our voices heard.
This blog and is here to do exactly that – empower you to engage in this topic in an informed and faithful manner. Our vision is to shorten the learning curve so people like you can enter the conversation pro-actively. Check out our resources and past blogs and feel free to share this with other leaders.
The challenge to live the Christian life in an AI world is staring at our faces. Let’s hear the voices of our cloud of witnesses beckoning us to live for Christ faithfully in this present context. This starts by entering the conversation.
Will you heed the call?
