[1] The topic of artificial intelligence has moved from science fiction to science and business. The essays in this issue raise topics for discussion that relate to spirituality and the church. The following is a brief discussion guide to help congregations think through the issues presented in this edition of JLE.
[2] The essay by Jose Marichal considers the way the human mind observes the natural world and creates abstractions in order to develop scientific theory. Some hope, or even believe, that AI will be able to observe all data and create more accurate theories than the human mind. Marichal asks readers to consider the danger in trusting a machine whose algorithms were created by corporations seeking profit and whose algorithms we do not understand. He asks us to consider:
* Should we trust facts that we cannot verify and that come from a source whose mechanisms we do not understand?
In raising his concerns he asks readers to consider the broader questions. Take time to discuss these questions with the group.
* How do we gain knowledge and understanding for ourselves?
* Whom do you trust when you have questions that you cannot answer yourself?
[3] The question of whom we should trust with spiritual questions comes to the fore in Aaron Fuller’s essay about AI chaplains. He asks us to consider the following:
*Why do people turn to AI bots as chaplains?
*What is the role of pastoral care for those struggling with moral injury and mental illness?
*What are we all called to do as human beings to help those struggling with these spiritual questions?
[4] The spiritual danger of AI is the subject of Baker’s article. He asks readers to consider how their own agency may be hijacked by AI even as they may think they are using AI as a tool. Some questions to consider:
* Have you ever had the experience of becoming enslaved to a tool? Has your phone or computer ever made you feel like it is using you, rather than you using it? How might AI exacerbate this?
*Baker suggests that we cannot free ourselves from the force of the demonic, or of technology, on our own. He suggests prayer as part of our practices, as it calls us to trust in God rather than tools we have ourselves built even if we no longer understand them. This takes us back to the questions raised in paragraph 1: Whom do you trust when you have questions that you cannot answer yourself?
[5] Please note that readers might also enjoy the Discussion Guide published in 2024 on Ethics and AI
