A panel at the World Evangelical Alliance General Assembly on Wednesday morning urged churches to engage artificial intelligence with a distinctly biblical ethic, framing AI as a people-shaping technology that demands theological clarity, pastoral care and practical safeguards.

Moderated by Brenda Ng, a board member of AI and Faith, the session brought together ethicist and minister Sam D. Kim; Quintin McGrath, advisor and research fellow at AI and Faith; Chris Watkin, associate professor at Monash University; and Nick Kim, CEO of the Gargantua Group. The discussion outlined risks and opportunities for Christian witness as AI becomes embedded in daily life, ministry and economies.

McGrath opened by noting the wide spectrum of views within evangelical circles—from those who see generative AI as a “gift of God” to those who portray it as a threat—and proposed a middle path of “responsible, ethical, and biblically aligned AI.”

He identified four pressure points requiring a Christian response: a “human identity crisis” as the imago Dei is challenged by transhumanist assumptions; a breakdown in trust due to hallucinations, deepfakes and opacity; economic justice concerns around the digital divide and job disruption; and environmental stewardship amid AI’s high energy, water and materials usage. Each, he said, carries a corresponding opportunity for the church to reinforce human agency, deepen dependence on God’s wisdom, advocate for the vulnerable and model creation care.

A “trust framework” for responsible and faith-aligned use of AI

Developing the “how,” McGrath outlined a proposed “trust framework” for ministries considering AI adoption: theological alignment (does it help us love God and neighbor?); relational impact (does it strengthen embodied relationships?); utility and justice (does it meet real human needs equitably without fostering unhealthy dependency?); sustainability and stewardship (is it pursued with long-term responsibility for creation?); and transparency and accountability (is AI use declared, understandable and controllable?).

He recommended building on internationally recognized AI standards where possible—“redeeming” widely accepted benchmarks for church use—and pairing ethical reflection with compliance checks and independent verification. “We must move from statements to actions,” he said. “Ethics must be both theological and operational.”

Church must view AI through the lens of Scripture’s story

Watkin urged churches to evaluate AI through the Bible’s overarching storyline—creation, fall, redemption and new creation—rather than primarily political or commercial lenses. “AI is about people,” he said, emphasizing those who build the systems, whose data is used, whose communities host data centers, and those on whom the tools are deployed.

“That people-first emphasis,” Watkin said, “is essential for a faithful Christian ethic.” He argued that if Christians limit their analysis of AI to policy or culture, they “sell the Bible short.” Instead, believers must bring “the whole counsel of God” to bear on how intelligence and responsibility are understood in the age of algorithms.

Ethicist urges Christians to engage technological disruption redemptively

Sam D. Kim, an ethicist and pastor from Manhattan, offered a theological reflection on what he called the rhythm of “rupture and repair” that runs through Scripture and human history. From the Tower of Babel to the invention of the printing press, he said, moments of disruption have always carried both judgment and renewal, scattering humanity yet opening pathways for redemption.

“In the context of AI, we are once again at a moment of rupture,” Kim said. “It brings pain and consequences, but also the possibility of repair if we approach it through the gospel.” Comparing AI to Babel’s overreach, he noted that technological ambition can distort humanity’s desire for autonomy and control. Yet, as with the printing press—an innovation that once revolutionized access to Scripture—AI could also accelerate the spread of truth and justice if guided by godly wisdom.

Kim warned against a purely utilitarian approach that treats AI as a neutral tool. Instead, he called for spiritual discernment about how emerging technologies shape human formation and discipleship. “The lordship of Christ is not just about discipleship; it is lordship,” he said. “How we are formed by this new technology—how it molds our imagination, our empathy, and our sense of calling—is at the heart of this conversation.”

He noted that AI’s ability to access and process biblical data “more than any theologian or biblical scholar in seconds” poses profound questions about the nature of revelation, knowledge and dependence on the Holy Spirit. “If the Word became flesh,” Kim said, “then our discipleship must remain incarnational. The incarnation—not disembodied knowledge—must guide how we teach, mentor and follow Christ in an AI-shaped world.”

Kim framed the church’s response as a test of its capacity for redemptive engagement rather than fearful retreat. “Whether you have a dystopian or utopian view, rupture with repair is always at the heart of the gospel story,” he said. “This is not a moment for withdrawal but for faithful innovation, guided by Scripture and prayer.”

Technologist warns that AI outsources human intelligence and reshapes relationships

Nick Kim, a technologist who previously worked in Google’s engineering division before founding his own AI consulting firm, spoke from a practitioner’s standpoint about how rapidly the technology is transforming society. He described AI as “categorically different” from previous inventions because it outsources humanity’s most defining feature—intelligence—to machines capable of learning and self-improvement.

“Most technologies make life easier, but they don’t redefine what it means to be human,” he said. “A car doesn’t grow or think. But AI creates intelligence that can produce more intelligence, and that’s a seismic shift.” The exponential growth of machine learning systems, he explained, will reshape every sphere of society—business, education, governance, communication, and even ministry.

For the church, he said, this presents both opportunity and risk. “We can’t afford to be back-footed,” Kim cautioned. “If this is the next platform through which culture and decision-making flow, then the church must lead with wisdom, ensuring that this powerful tool is used for the good of God’s kingdom rather than for manipulation or exploitation.”

He emphasized the urgency of forming Christian technologists, ethicists and pastors who can think biblically about design, data, and human dignity. “This is not just about policy—it’s about theology,” Kim said. “The question is not whether the church will use AI, but whether it will do so faithfully.”

As AI increasingly mediates communication between people, Kim said the technology’s hidden influence on relationships and discipleship must be taken seriously. “The way we relate to one another is already changing,” he said. “Large language models are now inserted into how we talk, write, and even pray. They may translate languages or suggest phrasing, but they also embed their own value systems. If discipleship is about one person walking alongside another, how does that dynamic change when a machine stands in the middle?”

He warned that if churches adopt AI tools without examining their underlying motivations and algorithms, “our relationships and spiritual formation could be subtly shaped by systems that do not share our values.” This, he said, makes transparency, accountability, and human oversight indispensable.

AI requires cognitive and spiritual discernment, not blind adoption or fear

Ng, summarizing the discussion, said the goal was not to demonize AI or romanticize its potential, but to recover theological literacy in an age of automation. “When we think about the printing press or the automobile, there was no cognitive engagement between the user and the tool,” she said. “With AI, there is—and that means we must bring a biblical mind and spirit to every interaction.”

The panel agreed that AI will profoundly influence how people learn, worship, and experience community. “We must resist the temptation to let AI become a substitute for presence,” McGrath noted earlier, adding that churches should remain places where humans encounter one another and God face-to-face.