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Talk about Artificial Intelligence (AI) is everywhere these days. AI is more and more becoming not just part of the daily discourse, but a big part of our day-to-day lives. People worry about AI taking jobs if not trying to annihilate humanity ala Terminator. I don’t think we’ll start seeing killer androids with German accents running around trying to kill us anytime soon, but there are some concerns about AI that we need to discuss soon.
In this episode of Church and Main, I’m trying to understand the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and spirituality. I talked about the intersection with Presbyterian pastor Jeremy Wilhelmi. We will talk about the results in the podcast as well as the complexities and ethical considerations of integrating AI into the realm of faith.
We’ll begin the conversation with a personal experiment by Jeremy. He tested whether AI could replicate the emotional depth and personal touch of a benediction he wrote for a commencement ceremony. The results were fascinating and underscored the irreplaceable value of the human element in spiritual practices. We will then talk about the ethics of AI in ministry, tackling the potential use of AI in sermon preparation. That conversation raises an important question: Should AI-generated sermons be viewed merely as another resource, or do they challenge the core of personal engagement in ministry?
I hope you’ll engage with this episode, reflect on your own experiences, and contribute to the ongoing conversation about faith in the age of AI. Check out the show notes, and don’t forget to listen to a prior conversation I had with Jeremy on the chaplaincy.
Jeremy Wilhelmi is an ordained pastor in Presbyterian Church (USA) and he is the college chaplain at Ozarks University in Clarksville, Arkansas a position he’s held since 2016.
Show Notes:
Beyond artificial words: The pastoral heart in an age of AI by Jeremy Wilhelmi
The Chaplaincy Is Not Your Backup Plan with Jeremy Wilhelmi | Episode 108
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Pastoral Leadership in the AI Era with Jeremy Wilhelmi | Episode 178