Future of Faith Newsletter 019: 🙏 Are we praying to God...or machines? 🤖

🤖💻  This past August, we were part of a gathering of faith leaders, theologians, and AI experts at the AI & The Church Summit in Seattle to explore the ethical and theological implications of Artificial Intelligence. The event, hosted by TryTank in collaboration with the Episcopal Church, PC(USA), and ELCA, sparked important discussions about AI’s role in addressing global challenges, while also grappling with concerns around inequality and human dignity. This gathering wasn’t just a one-time event; it’s the launchpad for ongoing collaborations that will influence how AI is integrated into ministries moving forward. 🌍

🚀In this issue of our newsletter, we're taking inspiration from that meeting and exploring the intersection of faith, A.I. and listening.  There's so much to think about here, we are just scratching the surface!✨

In this issue: 

Listen...to the field 💫🌟 AI and the Divine: Are we praying to God or to machines? 🤖✨ Explore the provocative question of AI-generated prayers and explore whether machines could spark a whole new religion.

Listen...to each other 🤝 AI and Ethics: Can machines make moral choices? Should they? 🌐🤖 Faith leaders from multiple traditions explore the ethical stakes of AI in a must-listen podcast, challenging us to consider how AI impacts human dignity and flourishing.

Listen...to the research 👂AI as Religion: Are we creating new gods?🤯🧠 Some see AI as more than just tech—it’s becoming a spiritual guide. Marketplace Tech explores AI-driven religious experiences, while Vox takes a deeper dive into Silicon Valley’s tech ideologies like transhumanism. As AI evolves, we must ask: Who or what are we beginning to trust? 🎧

New Thoughts ☕ Plural AI 🔥: What happens when everyone has their own, artificial, source of truth? 

Three Dream Jobs-NOT AI Related🕍:  H.E. Butt Foundation needs a Storytelling Associate, Holy Post Media needs a Managing Editor and Rooted Good is looking for an Operations Coordinator.

Announcements: We're up to some fun stuff. 📢

One Last Thing: 🔔 A conversation with our friend David Palmieri and Carl Sicliano, author of Making Room: Three Decades of Fighting for Beds, Belonging, and a Safe Place for LGBTQ Youth.

For a detailed view, you can read the full newsletter here.

You can see our full newsletter archive here.