Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a top topic of conversation at every turn these days. In my consulting work, clients are struggling to keep pace with AI developments, knowing that a fiercely competitive marketplace will “leave them in the dust” if they don’t keep up. In my workplace ministry role with At Work on Purpose, Christians are wrestling through the theological – and philosophical – dimensions of AI, covering a full spectrum from “it’s Satanic” to “it’s a blessing”. The breadth and depth of AI functionality and opportunity is enormous, and the pace of progress is breath taking.

For me personally, I view AI as a tool. Like a knife, AI can be used as a versatile utensil or a lethal weapon, and its future fate literally rests in our hands. On an almost daily basis, we hear reports of AI applications that solve major problems in our world, alongside other reports of significant workplace disruption. These reports are just the beginning!

I believe that we Christians need to bring “spiritual intelligence” (SI) to the formation and operation of AI. The practices around AI are evolving constantly, but there are principles that can stand the test of time as we consider its use in our everyday work:

• Outcomes: how do we advance human flourishing as we employ AI? We want AI to contribute to advancing God’s Kingdom. Isaiah 65:17-25 beautifully describes the ends we seek, a new heaven and earth where we long enjoy the work of our hands, where healthy community is everywhere.
• Process: how do we foster work environments that cultivate the best from AI, and avoid the rest? AI is here to stay, and what matters spiritually is that working Christians engage AI comprehensively and systematically, in a way that embeds “Kingdom DNA” into standard procedures.
• Continuity: how do preserve human work that fulfills our spiritual design? Ephesians 2:10 describes us as God’s workmanship, with good works prepared in advance for us to do, generation after generation. Work is part of our spiritual formation and Kingdom contribution. AI is changing the nature of work, but we must preserve human access to work.

I’m doing my best to be an able learner in this tumultuous space, and I welcome input from those of you working through AI/SI as well: chuck@atworkonpurpose.org.

 

Photo by Conny Schneider on Unsplash