Times Insider Explains Who We Are and What We Do
How A.I. is Colliding with Spirituality in Religious Institutions
As a reporter covering the technology industry, I spend a lot of time thinking about artificial intelligence. Billboards for A.I. companies are scattered around my neighborhood in San Francisco, and I regularly talk to people about A.I. chatbots. I even tried using A.I. clones to fix my dating life. So when I came across a Facebook group called “A.I. for Church Leaders and Pastors,” my interest was piqued.
The Parallel between A.I. and Religion
The group was a community of religious leaders discussing updates to A.I. programs like ChatGPT and Claude, even using image and video generators to recreate biblical scenes. The parallels were intriguing: for a lot of tech enthusiasts in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond, A.I. has itself become a sort of religion. I wanted to probe deeper into how spirituality and A.I. were colliding in religious institutions across the country.
The Ethical Dilemma
I scoured the internet for clergy members who had experimented with A.I. to help write their sermons and called over a dozen. I also visited a few local churches, synagogues, and mosques to ask religious leaders what they thought about using A.I. in their work. I quickly discovered that A.I. was already a contentious topic in many religious communities. I even found a Bible study group made up of engineers from the top A.I. companies, who met every week in a Silicon Valley church basement.
Can God Speak through A.I.?
One of my most informative conversations was with Jay Cooper, a pastor in Austin, Texas. He was the first of several religious leaders to pose the question: Can God speak through A.I.? In his own answer, Mr. Cooper cited a passage from the Book of John, where Jesus, claiming to be a king, is confronted by Roman officials. Jesus says to them, “Everyone on the side of truth listens to me,” to which a Roman official responds, “What is truth?”
The Job of Reporters
When it comes to A.I. more generally, it’s easy for people to come out strongly for or against the technology. The job of reporters is not to take a side, but to inform. I hope readers come away from my article thinking in a more nuanced way about the idea of using A.I. in religion, and in other parts of life, too.
Conclusion
I’ve found that most reporting on A.I. is about the advances in the technology itself, such as updates to chatbots or the emerging global market of computers and semiconductor chips that power them. But I’ve always had an interest in reporting on the other aspect of A.I. — how people are using it, and the ethical problems that arise from automating the more personal aspects of our lives.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the purpose of your article?
A: My article explores the intersection of artificial intelligence and spirituality in religious institutions.
Q: Why did you decide to write about this topic?
A: As a reporter covering the technology industry, I am interested in reporting on the human side of technological advancements, rather than just the technology itself.
Q: How did you go about researching your article?
A: I interviewed over a dozen religious leaders and visited several local churches, synagogues, and mosques to gather information and insights.
Q: What is the main message of your article?
A: My article aims to inform readers about the potential benefits and challenges of using A.I. in religious institutions and to encourage a nuanced understanding of the topic.
