The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention has released a guide advising church leaders on the boundaries they should not cross when using artificial intelligence. 

The ERLC published the new guide titled "The Work of Our Hands: Christian Ministry in the Age of Artificial Intelligence" on Thursday. The 39-page document outlines a list of general principles that Christian leaders should consider when interacting with AI, as well as several scenarios that churches may encounter as the prevalence of AI technology increases.

The document condemns any efforts to use AI to "seek to short-circuit or cut short the process of maturation and development of wisdom." It warns against the use of "AI-drafted sermons," asserting that "AI can assist the pastor in preparation, but it should never be used to replace or substitute for the distinct calling upon the man of God to preach God's Word to God's people." 

"The process of sermon development is one of the ways that God refreshes and refines the heart of the preacher," the guide reads. "If it is short-circuited, valuable and personal engagement with the text is lost. As a general rule, these tools are best to use once one has done the hard work of exegesis and research, a process which must be bathed in prayer and personal reflection."

The document's goal is to "equip pastors and ministry leaders as they seek to shepherd their people amid these pressing issues, ranging from the family and education to business and ministry," ERLC Senior Fellow Jason Thacker said in a statement. 

"As we know, we can no longer keep the issues surrounding the ethical use of AI at arm's length," said Thacker. "These issues now affect all of us in profound ways as technology continues to shape every aspect of our lives — both for good and ill."

RaShan Frost, ERLC director of research and senior fellow, stressed that "technological advances are outpacing our understanding of them and at times how we think about the moral and ethical implications of arriving technologies." 

"Thankfully, God's Word provides us with timeless insights, commands and principles to draw from to guide us in all aspects of life and faith," Frost said.

The guide helps "take God's Word, and from it draw out theological and ethical principles to help us navigate a world with artificial intelligence" and "take those principles and think through practical scenarios that pastors, lay leaders, staff members, and congregants may experience," Frost continued.

Regarding the prospect of church leaders employing AI assistants, the guide advises against the use of AI in a way that ends up "replacing key aspects of another person's ministry," once again maintaining that the technology should only be used as a supplement. 

"We must never seek to employ AI and other emerging technologies in ways that diminish the dignity of any human being by using AI as a means to subvert the human calling as image bearers of God to shape the world around them," the document declares. "AI must only be used in ways that complement [the] holistic transformation" that results from the "godly" development of "the whole person, including our minds, bodies, and hearts." 

Additionally, the guide warns that AI "should never be a substitute for or replacement for a rich embodied community, ultimately with God and with other human beings."

"Any faithful approach to AI and emerging technologies must be rooted in the transcendent nature of God and his sovereign control over all things, including even the most advanced AI systems," the guide states.

The document stresses that technologies, including AI, "must only be developed, deployed, evaluated, and used in ways that champion the immeasurable dignity of all people."

As the world debates how to respond to the rapid development of AI technology, The Christian Post, Colorado Christian University and Gloo will co-host a summit on Oct. 7 titled "AI For Humanity: Navigating Ethics and Morality for a Flourishing Future."

The event, which will take place at Colorado Christian University in Lakewood, Colorado, will feature "keynote addresses, panel discussions and interactive sessions designed to equip Christian higher education institutions, students and tech innovators with strategies to responsibly integrate AI within a faith-informed framework."