Artificial Intelligence

A Waldensian Perspective

The Study Commission for Ethics and Science of the Italian Baptist, Methodist, and Waldensian Churches has prepared a new document entitled "Artificial Intelligence: A Protestant Perspective." This document is intended as a preliminary exploration of some of the critical ethical and theological issues raised by Artificial Intelligence.

"The commission’s initial work on this document was structured around an initial study period, followed by several hearings with technical experts, and then finally the decision to draft an introductory document on this vast and ever-changing subject," said Pastor Ilenya Goss, the coordinator of the study commission. "Addressing the topic the way we did meant we had to postpone the discussion of issues related to specific applications of Artificial Intelligence in medicine, communications, and the church until further work can be done. Instead, the study commission focused on writing a document that offers an overview of the most crucial issues Artificial Intelligence raises, and, that examines, above all, the philosophical and theological implications of the fascinating and troubling revolution Artificial Intelligence is bringing in its wake."

This document also offers a brief glossary and addresses the way AI is currently regulated by the Italian and other governments. "What makes this document different from other documents prepared by our commission,“ Goss said, "is the awareness that it is able to take only the first steps toward developing a theological treatment of what Artificial Intelligence already represents today. We recognize that we need much more than just finding the right ethical guidelines for using Artificial Intelligence, however central and fundamental that challenge is. We also need to embrace the challenge that Artificial Intelligence poses to thinking about faith, to pastoral care, and to the Church’s way of bearing witness to the Gospel."

Just as Artificial Intelligence is increasingly becoming a part of our individual lives, it is also becoming a part of the reality of our churches. The growing role for Artificial Intelligence in daily life makes it important to develop training tools that will help churches and church members to make their own choices about Artificial Intelligence and to avoid being subjected to the technological development process they are immersed in.

"Even though this technology is evolving at a rapid pace and sometimes seems to be condemning books and other printed texts to obsolescence," Goss concluded, "offering this document is responding to the Church’s commitment to put its theology to use in serving the world. How we relate to Artificial Intelligence has an important ecumenical dimension, even if the written reflections about Artificial Intelligence that have been proposed by other Christian denominations sometimes have theological presuppositions that differ from those of Reformed Christianity, which we represent."

This report was written by Sabina Baral, who manages the office of communications and Italian and international ecumenical relations for the Italian Waldensian Tavola.

There will be a discussion of the challenge presented by Artificial Intelligence on Friday afternoon, August 21, just before the beginning of this year’s Italian Waldensian Methodist synod. This discussion is being organized by the Waldensian Cultural Center Foundation as part of the Giovanni Miegge Theology Day. The discussion, which will be conducted in Italian, will be live streamed on YouTube at 2:30 pm European Time which will be 8:30 am Eastern US Time. 

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