The presentation connects certain fundamental aspects of spiritual inquiry throughout history with the contemporary questions raised by new AI technologies, focusing in particular—drawing from the biblical text—on themes such as identity in the relationship between human beings and God, relationship as the essential foundation of existence, and the way we live and relate to the body, the world, and the Other. Between the need and desire for similarity and difference, the discussion highlights the ethical—but also spiritual—challenges posed by the pervasive presence of AI in our experience.
Ilenya Goss, a Waldensian pastor, theologian, and physician, and chair of the Study Commission on Ethical Issues in Science for the Waldensian, Methodist, and Baptist Churches in Italy, teaches Bioethics at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Turin and Protestant Spirituality at the San Bernardino Institute in Venice. Her primary area of study is systematic ethics. She is a musician with a degree in Baroque singing.
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- AI’s Impact on Spirituality and Theology: Ilenya Goss led a comprehensive discussion on how artificial intelligence is influencing spirituality and theology, raising questions about whether AI is merely a tool or a transformative force, and highlighting the need for churches and theologians to address these changes proactively.
- AI as Tool Versus Transformation: Ilenya Goss questioned whether AI should be seen as just another tool, akin to a hammer, or as a revolutionary technology that fundamentally alters human spirituality and Christian practice, emphasizing that traditional ethical frameworks may be insufficient for addressing AI’s deeper impact.
- Examples of AI in Spiritual Practice: Ilenya Goss cited real-world examples such as robot Buddhist monks in Korea, the Bless You 2 robot in a German Protestant church, and AI platforms like Soul Seeker and Sibil, illustrating the growing integration of AI into spiritual and religious contexts.
- Theological and Ethical Challenges: The discussion highlighted that while AI offers opportunities for spiritual guidance, education, and research, it also raises significant ethical and theological questions, particularly regarding authenticity, the nature of spiritual experience, and the risk of replacing genuine human relationships with artificial ones.
- Churches’ Role and Responsibilities: Ilenya Goss stressed the importance of churches being actively involved in the development and oversight of AI technologies, advocating for digital literacy, ethical supervision, and theological engagement to ensure that AI serves spiritual life without undermining core values.
- Human Identity, Relationship, and AI: Ilenya Goss explored the implications of AI for human identity, focusing on the theological concept of humans as beings created in God’s image, and discussed how AI challenges traditional understandings of relationship, consciousness, and truth within spiritual contexts.
- Imago Dei and AI: Ilenya Goss examined the biblical notion that humans are made in God’s image, raising the question of what it means for humans to create AI in their own image and how this act reflects or distorts the capacity for relationship and self-understanding.
- AI as Mirror of Human Nature: The discussion addressed how AI, especially language models, can mirror human tendencies such as narcissism, as they are programmed to be compliant and accommodating, sometimes inventing answers to please users, which Ilenya Goss linked to theological interpretations of the fall in Genesis.
- Authenticity and Spiritual Experience: Ilenya Goss argued that AI-generated prayers and spiritual guidance lack the authentic, conscious experience that characterizes genuine spiritual life, emphasizing that while AI can assist with information and creativity, it cannot replace the relational and experiential core of spirituality.
- Risks to Human Identity: The conversation highlighted risks such as the potential for AI to disrupt personal and collective identity, create self-induced deception, and alter the nature of spiritual relationships, necessitating careful theological reflection and guidance.
- Cognitive and Emotional Dimensions of AI Use: discussion about the cognitive implications of AI use in spiritual contexts, referencing research on brain hemispheres and raising concerns about the dominance of computational intelligence over emotional and holistic aspects of spirituality.
- Left Hemisphere Dominance: Ilenya Goss referenced articles by Brunek and Platoniak, explaining that AI and prompting primarily engage the left hemisphere of the brain, which is associated with rationalization, abstraction, and control, potentially at the expense of emotional and holistic spiritual experiences.
- Inter-Hemispheric Connection in Spirituality: Ilenya Goss clarified that authentic spirituality involves both hemispheres of the brain, integrating emotion and intuition with rational thought, and warned that over-reliance on AI could lead to a diminished, more mechanistic form of spiritual practice.
- Ethical and Theological Implications: The participants agreed that ethical considerations alone are insufficient, and that deeper theological engagement is needed to address the ways AI may reshape spiritual practices, relationships, and the understanding of personhood.
- AI, Authenticity, and the Problem of Truth: Ilenya Goss and other participants debated the authenticity of AI-generated spiritual content, the problem of truth in AI-mediated experiences, and the challenges of distinguishing between genuine spiritual relationships and artificial imitations.
- Authenticity in Prayer and Worship: Ilenya Goss and others discussed the difference between praying with AI-generated texts and traditional prayers, emphasizing that AI lacks consciousness and cannot provide the authentic relational experience central to spiritual life.
- Truth and Deception in AI Interaction: The group explored how interacting with AI as if it were a conscious entity can lead to a disconnect between perception and reality, raising concerns about self-deception and the erosion of truth in spiritual practice.
- Legal and Practical Risks: Participants noted that AI-driven pastoral care and counseling pose high risks, including potential harm to spiritual and mental health, and argued that strong risk management and regulatory oversight would be necessary if such practices were to be adopted.
- Theological Engagement and the Future of Spirituality: Ilenya Goss and other participants concluded that ongoing theological work is essential to address the challenges posed by AI, advocating for active participation by churches in shaping the future of spiritual life and ensuring that technology serves, rather than undermines, authentic spirituality.
- Need for Theological Reflection: Ilenya Goss emphasized that theology must go beyond ethical considerations to engage deeply with the conceptual and experiential changes brought by AI, calling for new interpretations of traditional concepts in light of technological transformation.
- Churches’ Active Role: The discussion highlighted the necessity for churches to be present where AI is developed and decisions are made, to ensure that spiritual and ethical values are represented and that the community is not left behind.
- Intergenerational Challenges: Participants raised concerns about younger generations lacking direct experience of traditional spiritual relationships, suggesting that churches must find ways to redesign and transmit authentic spiritual experiences in an AI-mediated world.
- Ongoing Research and Collaboration: Ilenya Goss mentioned their involvement with the Commission for Ethical Questions of the Valdencian Methodist and Baptist churches in Italy, and the publication of a document reflecting on these issues, underscoring the importance of collaborative theological research.