I wonder how you feel about Artificial Intelligence (AI)? The members of my family run the gamut, from embracing it enthusiastically in their work and tasks like travel planning, to shunning it entirely on moral, creative, and environmental grounds. I will confess to using it occasionally to get help on complicated problems with my computer or phone, but have no fear: there will be absolutely no AI sermons!
No matter your feelings about AI, there is no doubt that we will have to grapple with its implications in our lives and the world around us. Pope Leo has released his first encyclical, “Magnifica humanitas,” on the subject (https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiv/en/encyclicals/documents/20260515-magnifica-humanitas.html). The subtitle reads in part, “On Safeguarding the Human Person,” which fits well with Jesus’ gospel message emphasizing the full dignity and value of every one of God’s children.
Our Episcopal church is wrestling with it as well. I recently came across this prayer put out by the Episcopal Public Policy Network. May it help us as we continue to process the way AI is already changing our lives:
God of truth and wisdom, you created every human being in your image and called us to walk in your ways. In this age of rapidly developing artificial intelligence, protect us from the dangers of using a tool without considering the harms it could bring. Grant us wisdom to make choices that keep us on the path to human flourishing. Help those who are driven by power and profit to open their hearts to compassion and care. Protect the dignity of every person amid the spread of misinformation designed to provoke fear, anger, and hatred among your children. Guide the development of new technologies toward the flourishing of humanity and the care of your creation. Grant wisdom, humility, and compassion to all who shape these tools, and help us build systems of accountability and governance that uphold human dignity and serve the common good. Teach us to seek your will and not our own, so that innovation may serve the flourishing of humanity and reflect your love for the world. All this we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord, who shared fully in our humanity and revealed the sacred worth of every person.
Amen.
