Brazil Archives

Working for a Better Future: Sustainable AI and Gender Equality

At our February AI Theology Advisory Board meeting, Ana Catarina De Alencar joined us to discuss her research on sustainable AI and gender equality, as well as how she integrates her faith and work as a lawyer specializing in data protection. In Part 1 below, she describes her research on the importance of gender equality as we strive for AI sustainability.

Elias: Ana, thank you for joining us today. Why don’t you start by telling us a little about yourself and about your involvement with law and AI.

Ana: Thank you, Elias, for the invitation. It’s very nice to be with you today. I am a lawyer in a big law firm here in Brazil. I work with many startups on topics related to technology. Today I specialize in data protection law. This is a very recent topic for corporations in Brazil. They are learning how to adjust and adapt to these new laws designed to protect people’s data. We consult with them and provide legal opinions about these kinds of topics. I’m also a professor. I have a master’s degree in philosophy of law, and I teach in this field.

Photo by Sora Shimazaki on Pexels.com

In my legal work, I engage many controversial topics involving data protection and AI ethics. For example, I have a client who wants to implement a facial recognition system that can be used for children and teenagers. From the legal point of view, it can be a considerable risk to privacy even when we see a lot of favorable points that this type of technology can provide. It also can be very challenging to balance the ethical perspective with the benefits that our clients see in certain technologies.

Gender Equality and Sustainable AI

Elias: Thank you. There’s so much already in what you shared. We could have a lot to talk about with facial recognition, but we’ll hold off on that for now. I’d like to talk first about the paper you presented at the conference where we met. It was a virtual conference on sustainable AI, and you presented a paper on gender equality. Can you summarize that paper and add anything else you want to say about that connection between gender equality and sustainable AI?

Ana: This paper came out of research I was doing for Women’s Day, which is celebrated internationally. I was thinking about how I could build something uniting this day specifically and the topic of AI, and the research became broader and broader. I realized that it had something to do with the sustainability issue.

Sustainability and A Trans-Generational Point of View

When we think of AI and gender, often we don’t think with a trans-generational point of view. We fail to realize that interests in the past can impact interests in the future. Yet, that is what is happening with AI when we think about gender. The paper I presented asks how current technology impacts future generations of women.

The technology offered in the market is biased in a way that creates a less favorable context for women in generations to come. For example, when a natural language processing system sorts resumes, often it selects resumes in a way that favors men more than women. Another example is when we personalize AI systems as women or as men, which generates or perpetuates certain ideas about women. Watson from IBM is a powerful tool for business, and we personalize it as a man. Alexa is a tool for helping you out with your day-by-day routine, and we personalize it as a woman. It creates the idea that maybe women are servile, just for supporting society in lower tasks, so to speak. I explored other examples in the paper as well.

All of these things together are making AI technology biased and creating ideas about women that can have a negative impact on future generations. It creates a less favorable situation for women in the future.

Reinforcing and Amplifying Bias

Levi: I’m curious if you could give an example of what the intergenerational impact looks like specifically. In the United States, racial disparities persist across generations. Often it is because, for instance, if you’re a Black American, you have a harder time getting high-paying jobs. Then your children won’t be able to go to the best schools, and they will also have a harder time getting high-paying jobs. But it seems to be different with women, because their children may be women or men. So I wonder if you can give an example of what you mean with this intergenerational bias.

Ana: We don’t have concrete examples yet to show that future impact. However, we can imagine how it would shape future generations. Say we use some kind of technology now that reinforces biases–for example, a system for recruiting people that lowers resumes mentioning the word ‘women,’ ‘women’s college,’ or something feminine. Or a system which includes characterization of words related to women–for instance, the word ‘cook’ is related to women, ‘children’ is related to women. If we use these technologies in a broad sense, we are going to reinforce some biases already existing in our society, and we are going to amplify them for future generations. These biases become normal for everybody now and into the future. It becomes more systemic.

Racial Bias

You can use this same thinking for the racial bias, too. When you use these apps and collect data, it reinforces systemic biases about race. That’s why we have to think ethically about AI, not only legally, because we have to build some kind of control in these applications to be sure they do not reinforce and amplify what is already really bad in our society for the future.

Levi: There’s actually a really famous case that illustrates this from Harvard Business students. Black students and Asian students sent their applications out for job interviews, and then they sent out a second application where they had whitewashed it. They removed things on their CV that were coded with with their race–for instance, being the president of the Chinese Student Association or president of the Black Student Union, or even specific sports that are racially coded. They found that when they whitewashed their applications, even though they removed all of these accomplishments, they got significantly higher callbacks.

Elias: I have two daughters, ages 12 and 10. If AI tells them that they’re going to be more like Alexa, not Watson, it influences their possibilities. That is intergenerational, because we are building a society for them. I appreciated the paper you presented, Ana, because AI does have an intergenerational impact.

In Part 2 we will continue the conversation with Ana Catarina De Alencar and explore the way she thinks about faith and her work.

AI Theology Goes to NY: Sandy e Junior and the Power of Music

This blog started with a dare. My father-in-law, a faithful reader of the blog, challenged me to write a post about my recent trip to New York I took with my wife. We were there for one night to watch the one and only US concert of the Brazilian band Sandy e Junior in the Barclay’s center. He wanted to see if I could tie that experience with theology or AI.

Daniel, challenge accepted! Let’s see how it goes.

That’s the look of excitement of spending 30 hours with no kids. This picture also clears up who married up. I am a lucky man!

Our trip really started in the Atlanta airport. Arriving with plenty of time, enjoying a kid-free trip, we decided to walk to the concourse rather than catching the train. It made for a pleasant 25 minutes walk, helping us reach and surpass the 10K steps goal for the day. Not only that but we also greatly enjoyed an exposition on African art and learned about the history of Atlanta. It is very well done and a great way to pass time while waiting for a flight. Next time you are stranded in the Atlanta airport, I highly recommend it.

After less than two hours of flight we saw this in our window and knew we were close. Even with all the smog, NY still boasts some stunning views. We have not been in the big apple for over 15 years and a lot has changed since then.

Picture of New York’s skyline from the plane.

A Brazilian Enclave in the Big Apple

After finding some exquisite cuisine for dinner in Brooklyn we headed to the arena. The walk there in the rain was an unexpected treat. It reminded us of a family tradition: dancing in the rain. This is something we started doing before we had kids and have passed on to them. Now every time it rains, our girls ask: can we go out there to dance? Nope, we did not dance in the crowded sidewalks and car congested streets of Brooklyn. However, getting soaking wet prior to the concert was the closest to it. It was a preparation for what was to come.

As we approached the arena, it felt like we were in another country. Just noticing the way people dressed and conducted themselves, we knew there were Brazilians all around us. You see, Brazil is fairly diverse country making it difficult to spot what the typical Brazilian looks like. However, you can often tell by subtle clues. For example, women will wear their purses crossing their shoulder instead on the side. We could also hear a lot of Portuguese being spoken around us. Before crossing the street, I man behind us warned in Portuguese to stay way from the puddle anticipating cars to splash unsuspecting pedestrians. Good reminder, that we heeded willingly though unnecessary since we were already soaked.

When we got inside we felt like we were in Brazil. Everybody was speaking Portuguese except for the stadium’s staff. It felt like we were going back to our adolescence. We both grew up in Brazil. I left as a teenager and Priscila when she married me. It also reminded us of the time we met, when I was 17 and she was 15 years old. A trip back in time to a distant but crucial moment in both of our lives.

Mandatory selfie with my beautiful wife in front of the venue. Notice that I still haven’t figured out where the camera is. One day I’ll learn!

An Unique Sister-Brother Duo

Sandy e Junior are quite unique artists in the Brazilian music scene. Children of a famous sertanejo (Brazilian country music) singer, they walked into the spotlight very early in life. Their first appearance was in 1989 at the tender age of 6 and 5. From then on, they enjoyed a successful career as a duo until 2007 when they parted ways. This concert marked their 30 year anniversary of their launch in ’89. It was a reunion tour which planed for a few concerts in Brazil but quickly expanded into an international tour. Though in their mid-30’s, they already boasted three decades of career and over 20 million albums sold – a rare feat for any Brazilian artist!

Picture of the Duo captured in the NY concert

Their longevity is not the only aspect that stands out. In an industry crowded by divas and big personalities, it is quite refreshing to see self-effacing, humble and authentic artists perform. They showed genuine gratitude and recognition for the fans efforts to be there and faced the opportunity to play in an international stage not as a right but as a responsibility. Both of them are still married to their first spouses and have kids. Yes, sometimes good guys and gals do become famous.

Their songs centered mostly on young love and heart break. Because they grew up doing this, their music reflects their different developmental stages. From kid’s crushes, painful teenage breakups to long-lasting friendship; it is all there in a pleasant mixture of songs to an overall pop sound. Sandy is the lead singer while Junior sings harmony and plays multiple instruments. The closest I comparison I could think would be if Taylor Swift teamed up with a Jonas brother.

The Power of a Shared Experience

As expected for this reunion show, the fan base was quite varied in age. Given their long career, you could see both those who have grown up with them as well as their children coming to the concert. I must confess I was a very late comer to their fandom. My wife was a fan from her teenage years in the 90’s while I scoffed at their association with sertanejo. It was an unfair prejudice that I regret. In our house now, Priscila had already made fans out of all our kids and I was the only hold out. After this concert that is no longer the case and I have the picture to prove it.

Priscila’s passion for the duo rubbed on me. Often, I would turn to look at her face fully immersed into the music experience. It was like I had my teenager Priscila back, almost twenty years later after marriage and kids. Her genuine delight was contagious and captivating making me fall in love again.

She was not alone. We were surrounded by committed fans who stood up and sang along for the whole two hours plus of concert time. Looking at their faces you could see memories of crushes, heart breaks and kids play all coming back. It was as if that experience was transporting them to an earlier and simpler time, a precious memory from their younger years.

The fact that it was in the US made the experience all the more memorable. Many of them, like us, have left their childhood place along with friends and family. They now live in a country where they were no longer sure they were welcome. Many carry the toll of the lonely immigrant life punctuated by hard work and isolation. All of that was forgotten for two hours while they sang their memories at the top of their lungs. The last song invited the whole arena to jump. Twenty thousand fans (including myself) gladly obliged bouncing our sorrows away.

Theology, AI, anything?

There was nothing about AI in that night. After all, I do have other interests in my life and don’t walk around only thinking about how the world relates to AI! Yet, there was ample opportunity for theological reflection. I could talk about the fact that music has the power to transport us into other dimensions in time and space. I could also speak of the nostalgia, the struggle of the immigrant life and the never-ending pervasiveness of love. You see, to me all of this is part of theology.

I am recently reflecting on a theology that embraces the world. I have recognized that my Christian formation, unfortunately, have often led me to despise the world around me and minimize experiences that were outside of religious contexts. Because of that, I was grateful to be part of this intoxicatingly human experience. It left me enriched by having my horizons opened and a bit convicted by my past prejudice. I also felt closer to my wife, the very relationship that continues to teach me most about God.

Learning to embrace the world reminds me that God does not sit “out there” in a “separate” infinite world but pours through in the richness of human experience, in the materiality of this earth, in joy, pain and sorrow.

All of it is sacred.

AI Theology Goes to Brazil Part 4 – Postmodernity and AI

In part 3, I described my learning experience with holistic ministry in Brazil after meeting with local pastors in Caratinga. In this blog, closing the series on my Brazil trip, I describe in more detail the last talk I gave in the university. Unlike previous talks, this time I was there more to listen than to speak. The event consisted of a panel discussion entitled: “AI and Postmodernity.” The plan was for me to give a 15 minute introduction and then pass on the discussion to a panel of professors.

With such a loaded title, I struggled to develop a suitable introduction. Postmodernity is such a broad term which does not lend itself to simple definitions. Moreover, it is not something usually discussed alongside a technology. The task before me was to elucidate points of correlation that would spark fruitful conversation. The preparation forced me to think deeper about some assumptions inherent in AI technology. After some careful thought, I came up with the following:

All problems have a technological solution
Nature (including humanity) is an algorithm that needs to be decoded
Data reveals the truth and shows the way to solutions
Every activity can and should be optimized

The more I reflect on these, the more I see them informing the development of Artificial Intelligence. Without these assumptions in place, I don’t see AI attracting the attention, funding and research needed to develop further. This is only happening because business leaders, politicians and investors have bought into these claims.

For Postmodernity, I framed the topic around four key implications that I found to be relevant for the panel discussion. They were the following:

The acceptance and celebration of diversity
Skepticism towards institutions or any power structure
Increase in both nihilism and fatalism
Openness to all narratives especially those coming from the margins

Bring the two together, I formulated four questions to spark the discussion among panel participants. Here were the questions:

What is the socio-cultural dominant narrative in Caratinga?
How can AI empower groups in the margins?
How can AI foster human flourishing in the local level?
Could the development of AI be a sign of a return to Modernity?

The panel consisted of professors in engineering, law, computer science, theology and social service. Their answers stayed mostly around themes of ensuring technology is used to enhance not diminish humanity. For example, the Social Service professor expressed the hope that data collection could improve their work with vulnerable populations. The Computer Science professor emphasized the differences between the human brain and AI. The Theology professor talked about the potential of AI for furthering ministry opportunities and addressing income inequality.

When hearing their answers, I sensed a bit of a disconnect on where I expected the discussion to go and where it actually went. While I set up the stage preparing for a more philosophical discussion of AI and postmodernity, the professors mostly avoided such approaches preferring instead to speak of concrete ways they understood that technology could affect their work. The panel ended up being about impact of AI applications rather than how it could change our view of humanity and the world we live in.

This disconnect only highlighted the importance of context. I noticed how my North-American academic context was dominated by deep specialists while the particular academic context I encountered in Brazil was run by generalists. This was not limited to academia but reflected more how the local society worked. People tended to rely on a broader more general level of knowledge rather than simply consulting the specialist for each field at hand.

I realized that such environment made them more receptive to the message of integration that I was proposing. In a place where people tend to rely on generalized knowledge, they already are doing the integration I suggest between faith, science and technology. They may not be doing directly on those topics but are practicing it in other areas.

On the flip side, reliance on a generalized knowledge can hinder more in-depth reflection on a specific topic. So, while I mostly agreed with the professors that technology should not replace humanity, I hoped to hear more nuanced arguments on how that could be the case in their context. I was hoping for new insights of how technology could integrate with their environment to solve deeply entrenched social problems. I was hoping for more layers of “why” and “how” in their answer. With that said, the panel was still fruitful in that it sparked discussion on how technology is impacting diverse segments of society. That in itself is an important step forward.

I left Caratinga deeply impacted by my time there. As the old adage goes, I came here to teach but ended up learning more. In fact, there were times where I wonder whether my talks were even relevant to their context. This was not just personal insecurity, though there was probably some of it , but it came from accepting that the assumptions that I operate under do not necessarily hold here. In many ways, I found a community where technological change was not as voracious as I have witnessed in the US. Even if many of these AI breakthroughs come to pass, they may not necessarily upend the social order there as it will in my own community. This is not to say that they will be immune from it. Just to realize that technology adoption is not as inevitable as we make it to be. The issue is not just whether something is technically possible but whether people will openly adopt it.

From what I saw, smart phones has become a integral part of their lives. Yet, in many other areas, the way they study, work, eat and relate to each other has remained unchanged. That is not a sign of being “backward” but of resistance. Caratinga show that there isn’t only one way to integrate technology into the fabric of a society. This realization led me reflect on how I can live a life, in a techno-dominant society, that is more in tune with my humanity and of those around me. That is the question I take home with me, hoping to not let the lessons I learned here go into oblivion.

AI Theology Goes to Brazil – Part 3: Holistic Mission and Technology

In Part 1 and Part 2, I discussed my two first talks in Brazil. In this blog, I will describe my third talk to a group of local pastors. Expecting to give them some new ideas, I left the meeting with new avenues of reflection. Hoping to teach, I ended up becoming the student.

The talk happened a monthly local pastors’ breakfast. I was elated to learn that they were already meeting regularly to discuss local ministry needs and coordinate actions. It is uncommon to see local religious leaders cooperating on anything. In this case, I could see evidence of joint projects and fruitful dialogue between church leaders in spite of the many different denominations represented.

I gave my opening remarks challenging them to see technology more as an enabler than a threat to their efforts. I spoke of ways in which the churches could participate in furthering the democratization of technology through education, awareness and political involvement. In other words, I wanted them to think of their work beyond the traditional bounds of preaching and Bible teaching. I then opened the floor for questions and comments.

The discussion inevitably steered towards the impact of social media. In that vein, I encouraged them to both model and provide guidance to their communities on healthy ways to use those technologies. I was also surprised to learn about the prevalence of smart phone ownership in Brazil and other areas in the world. There, I learned that there now more smart phones in Brazil than people! Also, one of the pastors, who had recently returned from India, spoke of village that lacked indoor plumbing and electricity but where people could still connect to a common solar panel to charge their phones! This discussion only confirmed my belief that technology, now more than ever, can be an enabler for human development.

I was also glad to hear about local efforts to improve computer literacy in poor areas of the city. Pr Marco Antonio dos Santos, a Methodist pastor and seminary coordinator told me about his church’s community center. It offered classes in music, homework tutoring and computers. I was so impressed that I asked to visit the center the next day. The two story building reflected already the vision I was proposing to pastors. It hosted a community center in the first floor open in the weekdays and a church sanctuary in the second floor for the weekend services. The building was located in a poor neighborhood of the city. In my short visit, I downloaded Scratch software to enable them to start teaching code to the children.

What would happen if more pastors had a holistic approach to ministry like Sombra e Agua Fresca (community center’s name which means “shade and fresh water”)? I left my visit convinced that, even with all its shortcomings, churches continue to be a tremendous force for good in the world. For those interested in learning more, click here. The site is all in Portuguese but it gives you a good idea of the diverse work this church is doing in the city.

Reflecting on what I learned, it brought me back to my time at Fuller where I learned about Holistic Mission. While many have heard about Latin American liberation theology, few know about the evangelical variant theology called missao integral. This theology and ministry philosophy transcended the traditional North-American divide between evangelism and social action. Instead of taking sides in this useless binary discussion, Christian leaders in Latin American decided it was about “both and”. That is, Christian mission should always happen in a context of social action. There is no point in sharing the gospel to the hungry without feeding them first. Also, there is no point in building charities that never empower the poor to break out of their cycle of poverty. Pastor Marco Antonio’s work is a vivid example of this theology. On weekdays, the center fleshes out what is preached on Sunday upstairs. This way, the church runs a holistic mission in a place of tremendous need.

It is unfortunate how in the US, mainline churches will focus on social action while evangelical churches focus more on evangelism. Of course, there are a lot of exceptions but that tends to be the case for the most part. Maybe this is where we can learn from the Latin American church. As this relates to technology, Holistic Mission means teaching the poor to code while sharing the gospel with them. These two go hand in hand.

What if more churches had computer labs in their buildings?

AI Theology Goes to Brazil – Part 2: Pure Energy

In the previous blog, I described my first talk in Caratinga where I addressed how to transmit our faith to our kids in a technological era. It was a good way to break into the series of talks that followed.

The following day, I delivered a talk in the evening to a wider audience of students, professors and admnistrators of the university. After being introduced, I walked up to the stage with with sunglasses doing a robotic walk, to Information Society’s “What’s on Your Mind”. (Yes, I went there! For those old enough, who can forget Leonard Nimoy’s voice saying “Pure Energy” in the intro – it’s a classic. Also, I do remember that being a big hit in Brazil. What happened to all the great music of the 80’s and 90’s? That’s a topic for another blog.) For an introvert like me, that was a tremendous risk and one that that could have gone badly. Thankfully, the audience was gracious with my clumsy attempt waiting to hear what I had to share.

After outlining a short introduction to what Artificial Intelligence is I then moved on to examples of how it is changing relationships, jobs and religion. I wanted to audience distinguish between general and narrow AI and also the difference between replacement and augmentation. On relationships, I talked about the promises of algorithmic match making and shared the example of the virtual wife hologram, now available in Japan. For jobs, I talked about how many job functions would be affected noting that it would come not as in total replacement but in automating tasks. For fun, I shared the story of the robot run hotel in Japan where robots ended up being fired for annoying customers! In other words, AI changes would be more complex than what is portrayed in science fiction.

Finally, on religion, I shared a blessing from Robot Pastor with the audience. First, I assured seminarians that robot competition was not an issue for them. Instead, I encouraged those training for the ministry to view technology not as a threat but an ally to their efforts. Historically, religious leaders have often displayed knee-jerk resistance to new technologies. Could we react differently this time? I also mentioned how AI could amplify their efforts in counseling parishioners or even just getting their message out.

That’s me with sunglasses getting ready to speak.

The main message of the talk was that narrow AI was coming to change our lives, how would we respond? I encouraged the audience to replace fear with courage, engaging AI with a broader view that seized on opportunities while monitoring risks. On the latter, I mentioned the perils of using face recognition for policing and how such uses required a broader democratic discussion from the civil society. Interestingly enough, after my talk, a local lawyer told me of a recent effort to coordinate camera footage from many areas in the town for law enforcement. I was not speaking of a distant future but of the here and now.

The question and answer time proved very thought provoking. The students asked insightful questions. One that impressed me was how far computers were from approaching the human brain capacity. Others asked more directly about how AI would hinder belief in God and religious adherence. In my view, the questions demonstrated some critical thinking and deep intellectual engagement with the topic. That is, the students were awake and listening. That is not always the case in events like these where they are required to go for class credit.

Maybe “pure energy” and a robotic walk was all it took to hook them in. Maybe not. Either way, my hope was to spark conversation on the topic. Judging by their questions, the dialogue had begun. In the 21st century, we are now all “Information Societies.”

AI Theology In Brazil – Part 1: A Personal Address

That’s me getting ready to kick the soccer ball with my dad.

How do I encapsulate 2 intense weeks in a short summary? How can I do so by providing enough detail to take the reader with me but also without making this a long drawn-out memoir? Hard task but one worth engaging in. In the previous blog, I gave my overall reflections on Brazil but did not go much in detail on what happened in my time there. This is what I will attempt to do in the following series of blogs. Here is the first installment.

First, it is important to disclose how this trip came about. For those who do not know me, I was born in Brazil and lived there until I was 15. My parents and my sister still live there. Since I had not been there since 2015, I thought it was about time to go back even if I could not bring my whole family with me. As I discussed my visit with my dad, he suggested I give some talks on Artificial Intelligence to the seminary and university he is involved in. It is a growing institution, founded by my grandfather, situated in a small town in Brazil’s interior. Because my visit, they organized a theology forum on the topic of Artificial Intelligence which consisted of 4 events:

Sunday School in a Presbiterian church entitled: “How to transmit our faith to our kids in a technological age”
A lecture open to the public in the university entitled “How Artificial Intelligence is changing relationships, professions and religion”
A talk with a group of pastors in the city entitled “Artificial Intelligence: How do we receive it and use it in our communities”
An open debate with professors in the University about “Artificial Intelligence and Post-Modernity.”

Phew, clearly this vacation turned out to be quite some work but very gratifying. Since I had little time to prepare prior to flying to Brazil, I spent a my first few days there gathering material for the talks and discussing the topic with friends and family. I had a lot to say on the topic but I wanted to contextualize it to the local reality. Attitudes and beliefs toward technology can vary widely depending on the context.

For example, it was illuminating to learn that while most of my audience did not have a computer at home, almost all of them had smart phones. Most were not familiar with terms like “machine learning” or “data science” but could see that in action when they typed a letter to send a text to a friend. I also learned that Whatsapp was the application of choice even more used than email in some cases. To my surprise, the town had Uber service even as they still had newstands in their main square. Wifi was widely available as well as small mom and pop stores that I visited while I was a kid. No Amazon and Wall-Mart nearby leaving most of commerce to local businesses. I witnessed The old and new living side-by-side in an interesting mixture. I learned of people who harvested coffee in the morning but looked up answers in google at night to help their kids to do homework.

How then should I speak of a disruptive technology in an environment where technological change was so uneven? It was important to keep my assumptions in check.

The first talk in the church inaugurated my time in Caratinga on a personal note. I was there in the church my parents married and also the one where my grandparents and some uncles had been buried. I was there to speak first as a father and husband, not as a data scientist. I started by using an analogy. I showed them first on a screen a typewriter and then a 3-D printer. While most were familiar with the first, few could recognize the latter. There lied the challenge of sharing our faith with our kids. It felt as if we were teaching faith like typewriting in a world of 3-D printers. That is, our teaching carried assumptions from bygone era, failing to address the needs, fears and questions of our time. That did not mean we had to use more technological means for sharing our faith, but it required different approaches.

I shared from my heart that in a world of noise and fast technological change, it is crucial we teach our kids the gift of silence. Furthermore, in a world of multiplying screens, nothing speak louder than a loving gaze, a warm embrace and words of affirmation. Only when we practice those, can we even begin to transmit our faith to the next generation. If our faith reflects a God of love, the best way to introduce God is through loving action.

I believe this applies not just to a small town in the interior of Brazil but it is indeed a message of global relevance. In a world of instant digital connections, physically visiting different places still matters . The learning I got being there for two weeks could not be assimilated through reading or VR. If anything, physical presence will only become more impactful than before.

Therefore, let’s cherish every chance we get to see, touch and embrace our loved ones.

AI Theology Goes to Brazil: Initial Reflections on my trip

Contemplating Bom Será Falls in Caratinga, MG Brazil / Contemplando a cachoeira do Bom Será em Caratinga, MG

The way there was long! It took more than 28 hours in all, one sleepless night on the plane, two connections and hundreds of curves on winding roads until I reached my parents’ home. All the effort was worth it! The sound of the waterfall, the cozy house and the my parents’s warmth reminded me that I was returning to a familiar place. Being there allowed me to recuperate and prepare for the marathon of talks scheduled for the following week.

The first days consisted mostly of spending time with a sister and her husband, nephews, uncles and cousins. There is always that initial strangeness when re-connecting with others we have not seen for so long. At first we are reminded that we live in parallel realities of different customs, values and habits. However, there are also memories of joint experiences that show how we are deeply related despite distance and time. Visiting family and old friends often brings a mix of nostalgia, awkwardness, joy and anxiety.

Beyond connecting with family I hoped to witness examples in Brazil that gave me hope. It is very easy to see and focus on what is wrong and what needs to be changed. But I wanted to find reasons to be grateful and proud of our country. I was looking for points of light even in a sea of darkness.

Luckily, this trip did not disappoint. First I was impressed with my meals. Every lunch and dinner was a mixture of local fruits and vegetables and home made products. In an increasingly globalized world, nothing is more precious than local taste. Not only is it healthier as it promotes a greater connection with the land, and what a land!

I had forgotten the beautiful hills of these Minas Gerais. In the car trip, in the sites and even in the cities, you can see spacious pastures, closed forest and spectacular landscapes. The highlight was to contemplate the powerful waterfall of the Bom Será, a paradise found in the middle of a valley surrounded by closed forest. Sitting on its edge, listening to its noise and feeling the steady moist breeze from its waters was a spiritual experience – a multi-sensory reflection of the Creator’s beauty.

Finally, I was impressed with the existing social capital in Caratinga. In a world marked by isolation and loneliness, it is refreshing to visit a place where people talk to each other on the street without ceremony. A place of deep, intertwined relationships for generations. Seeing that was a lesson in humanity and spiritual wealth.

I came to talk about how technology is transforming the world but ended up getting a lesson on how human warmth builds community. While technologies like AI have much to offer to a place like Caratinga, it should not come at the cost of what they have already built there. My prayer is that my visit sparked conversations that can help further strengthen the existing social capital already there.

Later this week, I’ll be publishing a more detailed summary of my time and talks there. For now, I leave you with this picture that only offers a glimpse of the natural beauty of Minas.

Standing with my cousin Felipe in the Bom Será water fall.

Tag: Brazil