A Statement of the Biblical Research Institute Ethics Committee

The digital revolution that began a few decades ago has significantly impacted how we live our lives. The recent boom in artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to revolutionize our society even more, leveraging dramatic technological innovations across industries, creating new opportunities in the workforce, and altering the way we perform daily tasks. Such changes naturally lead to questions about how we should engage with AI as faithful Christians with a mission to reach the world for Christ. To this end, we will reflect on the place of AI within a biblical worldview, followed by some implications on how to use AI in the Seventh-day Adventist Church in a biblically and ethically informed manner. 

AI and the Biblical Worldview

AI can be defined as “technology that enables computers and machines to simulate human learning, comprehension, problem solving, decision making, creativity, and autonomy.”¹ Although AI has gone through different development phases since the 1950s, the most recent breakthrough in AI technology applies specifically to generative AI, which are “deep learning models that can create complex original content such as long-form texts, high-quality images, realistic video or audio and more in response to a user’s prompt or request.”² Large language models (LLM), such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT or Google’s Gemini, are exposed to a large variety of text from various sources, learn language patterns based on those sources, and then utilize the data and statistics they learned to generate answers in response to prompts. Those responses are not necessarily factual; rather, they are predictions based on learned patterns. 

In other words, generative AI is data-driven and algorithmic, and it can aid in human reasoning and decision-making because of its data-processing capabilities and be used to optimize research and implement new strategies in diverse fields of knowledge. Because AI works purely based on statistical patterns, it does not “think” or “know” things the way humans do. To be sure, AI differs from other technologies in that it can be programmed to operate autonomously, whether in responding to prompts or interacting with people through bots. But it is not imbued with personhood, moral agency, or responsibility, nor does it have opinions, feelings, awareness, or a conscience. Instead, its outputs are determined and limited by algorithms and inputs of its human programmers, which in turn are often driven by profit-enhancing processes³ and the sources it was exposed to and trained on.

Creativity and resourcefulness are important characteristics of how God made us as human beings created in His image (Gen 1:26–28; 2:15; Exod 31:1–6; 35:30–35; Prov 24:3–4). AI is the latest example of how humans have made use of these essential characteristics in our development of tools and technologies that can facilitate our understanding of reality and our interaction with the world (cf. Gen 4:20–22). But similar to other technologies, AI can be used either in positive or in harmful ways. In this sense, it is not necessarily AI in and of itself that is problematic, but how fallible and sinful human beings program and operate it. 

Similarly, in utilizing AI, we must maintain realistic expectations regarding what it can and cannot achieve. Although technology can contribute much to the improvement of society, Christians recognize that only through divine intervention can sin, evil, and death ultimately be overcome (Ps 20:7; Isa 31:1). Despite the optimistic plans and projections of technocrats, our hope is found not in technological progress but in Christ and in His death and resurrection (Jer 9:23–24; 1 Cor 15:21–26). And no matter how powerful or how much it can benefit our world, AI is incapable of solving humanity’s deeper problems of evil, sin, and death. Only Christ can address the evil within the human heart that leads individuals to misuse technology for harmful ends. With this general framework in mind, we can now turn to implications on how to use AI. 

Implications on How to Approach AI

As a powerful tool that can support human reasoning, decision-making, and work processes in various fields, AI can be utilized in many ways without compromising biblical principles. It can be especially useful when it is used for the glory of God and the furtherance of the mission of the church, when it supports human flourishing and promotes love for one’s neighbor. Examples of such uses include AI tools that help pastors, scholars, and Bible students engage with Scripture more deeply, translation tools for books, sermons, and other media, tools to help in administrative bookkeeping and financial records, analysis of church attendance or member engagement data, and accessible technologies that promote inclusion for people with disabilities. 

At the same time, it is not a “neutral” tool in that it is developed and programmed by fallible humans and even fallible Christians who have their own biases. For example, OpenAI’s creators wrote, “We designed ChatGPT’s default personality to reflect our mission and be useful, supportive, and respectful of different values and experiences.”⁴ While this may sound positive on a surface level, values promoted by such companies might not always align with—and at times might even be contrary to—the beliefs and values of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. These biases might not affect every output, but it is still important to be aware that their existence might color the results we receive and continued use may eventually shape the way we think and do things. 

Similarly, when we understand how generative AI works in that it predicts and creates outputs based on learned statistical patterns, we understand that its results are not always failproof. Most AI platforms include some form of disclaimer saying that they can make mistakes, and that it is the user’s responsibility to verify information.⁵ It is not only our responsibility as users, but also our moral duty as believers to carefully check sources and verify information to ensure that we are not blindly believing things nor contributing to the propagation of falsehood, misinformation, or misleading statements. Nor should we be engaged in using AI for deepfakes that misrepresent people as saying or doing things they have not actually said or done. As Christians, we have a moral and spiritual responsibility to be firmly committed to the truth (Prov 23:23; Eph 4:25).⁶ 

Additionally, we should be wary of outsourcing our own research skills and critical thinking to AI, especially when it comes to studying the Word of God. Studies demonstrate that continued reliance on AI can jeopardize a person’s brain performance over time,⁷ which in and of itself is concerning. But beyond that, as Christians we are called to engage our mind—our ability to think, reflect, make decisions, reach conclusions, etc.—in a way that is pleasing to God (Rom 12:1–2). God expects from us reasonable, “rational” worship, a worship that involves both the mind and the heart, worship that is appropriate for human beings created in the image of God as rational and spiritual beings. This means that it is our responsibility, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to think, analyze, and discern “what is the good and well-pleasing and perfect will of God” (v. 2). In the words of Ellen G. White, “We must study the truth for ourselves. No man should be relied upon to think for us. . . . We are to exercise the ability God has given us, in order to learn what is truth. . . . We must individually develop a character that will stand the test in the day of God.”⁸ This counsel on not relying on others to think for us also applies to AI. While this does not preclude the use of AI to facilitate research and analyses, AI should not be relied on to do all the critical work, to reach conclusions for us, nor to prepare sermons, speeches, spiritual content, or prayers. Humans are solely responsible—ethically, morally, and spiritually—for their decisions, words, and actions, and humans alone will be judged by God for what they say and do (Deut 24:16; Eccl 12:14; Jer 17:10; Ezek 18:20; Matt 12:36–37; 2 Cor 5:10). 

The same also applies to the responsibility of church leaders, pastors, and teachers more broadly, who are tasked with teaching the Word of God and shaping the minds of others. While AI may be used as a supporting tool, teachers of Scripture are personally accountable for the faithful transmission of the gospel. In fact, they bear greater responsibility because they are to give an account of their stewardship of the Word and of the souls of others before God (1 Cor 4:1–5; 1 Tim 4:16; 2 Tim 2:15; Heb 13:17; Jas 3:1). And here it is important to remember that the interpretation and teaching of Scripture are not exact sciences, as if AI were capable of providing us with infallible readings of Scripture or faultless, effective sermons; it is only through the work of the Spirit that the depths of Scripture can be grasped (1 Cor 2:14) and that the preaching of the Word can change hearts (1 Cor 2:4–5). The Holy Spirit speaks to human minds and hearts (John 16:13; 1 Cor 2:10–13; Eph 1:17–18), not through AI. No matter how doctrinally or exegetically accurate AI-generated Bible studies or sermons may be, they cannot replace the transforming power of a personal, Spirit-led engagement with the text. If we have not been personally transformed by our engagement with the Bible, our message will have a limited effect on our hearers, no matter how creative or theologically accurate our sermons are. Of course, the Spirit can still act and use such messages to reach those who need to hear them, but we will personally miss out on the very essence of why the Bible encourages us to study, meditate, and engage deeply with Scripture (Josh 1:8; Ps 1:2; Prov 2:1–5; Col 3:16; 1 Tim 4:13–16; 2 Tim 2:15; 3:14–17; Heb 4:12; Jas 1:22). For these reasons, we do not recommend that pastors and church elders rely on AI for the preparation of sermons, that teachers depend on AI in preparing class material, or that AI or AI-driven bots be used as the primary resource in Bible studies and in answering spiritual questions. AI can help us, but should not shepherd us.⁹ 

An additional point to keep in mind is that use of AI must be openly acknowledged and disclosed. Use of AI-generated content without proper attribution is a form of plagiarism, because it deceptively represents the work of another as if it were one’s own original work.¹⁰ Regardless of whether it was done intentionally or accidentally, this is dishonest and makes one liable to disciplinary and in some cases even legal action. These kinds of plagiarism apply especially to academic settings, but they extend to other scenarios as well, including the writing of sermons. In order to avoid such instances of plagiarism, users should treat AI as a tool to aid in the creative process, not as a content generator, and should openly acknowledge use of AI when it is used to generate texts, images, videos, etc.  

Finally, we must remember AI’s proper place within the created order.¹¹ As a created tool, no matter how powerful, capable, or lifelike AI may seem, it is nothing more than a human creation, and as such it should not be elevated to the human level nor should it replace embodied presence. Although AI is becoming increasingly more complex and humanlike in various ways, machines should not be given more power, control, or esteem than human beings who were created in the image of God and who are endowed with the role of stewards of God’s created world (Gen 1:26–28; Ps 8:4–6). We should not ascribe personhood or agency to them, use them for emotional support, nor grow attached or form emotional bonds with them.¹² It should not replace personal presence, relationships, or interactions, especially when it comes to pastoral and spiritual care, counseling, mentorship, or worship.

Neither should AI be elevated to a god-like status, similar to how idols and images are to be treated as nothing more than human creations (cf. Ps 115:4–8; Isa 44:9–20; Rom 1:22–25). Some experts have expressed concerns that the expanding influence of AI could gradually erode human agency and control, and, in more extreme scenarios, develop forms of autonomy that centralize power and diminish human responsibility. Such concerns remind us that AI should not be granted control over human beings, nor should we allow it to have any kind of emotional, psychological, or spiritual power over us, whether real or perceived. Nothing must be allowed to take the place of God as our Creator and Redeemer in our lives. And despite purported doomsday scenarios in which AI takes over control of the world, we do not need to be afraid because ultimately God is the King of the universe and He is guiding the course of history according to His purposes (Dan 2:21; Ps 103:19; Isa 46:9–10; Rev 11:15). As with many other tools and technologies, we can utilize AI from within an ethical biblical framework, so that we may continue to be faithful to God and true to the mission He has entrusted to us. While the world around us and how we engage with it may change, God’s Word, its enduring principles, and our mission to preach the gospel remain the same.