AI, Faith and Being Human: A One Day Mini Conference
Agenda
Social De-Skilling through Conversational AI
Host: Jennifer Herdt PhD
Info: Predictive and generative AI have already been the source of remarkable
breakthroughs, with many more doubtless on the way, from cancer diagnosis to the
design of new medical treatments to new techniques for wildlife monitoring and climate
modeling. We should rejoice at the possibilities that flow from the detection of patterns
in vast quantities of data. At the same time, we should be concerned about the ways in
which rapidly rising rates of engagement with conversational AI, particularly by young
people, are exacerbating loneliness and leading to the erosion of key social-moral skills.
This workshop will discuss these concerning trends and seek to distinguish them from
more benign uses of chatbots, within a theological reflection on our call to communion.
Presenter: Jennifer Herdt PhD is Dean of Faculty Affairs and Professor of Christian
Ethics at Yale Divinity School. She is the author of several books, including: The Great
Wheel of Being: Ethics Beyond the Human.
Tending and Toil: Work, Worth, and What AI Is For
Host: The Rev. Michael W. Delashmutt PhD
Info: Long before work became a problem to be managed, it was a calling to be received. In
the Garden of Eden, humanity is placed there "to till and to keep" the earth. Only later
does work become marked by the sweat of the brow. We have always lived in the
tension between work as vocation and work as toil. Today, as artificial intelligence
promises to remove drudgery, many rightly wonder whether it might also diminish our
sense of purpose. Beneath our questions about jobs and automation lies a deeper one.
If a machine can do my work, what was my work doing for me? This workshop turns to
Scripture's rich account of labor and to the Church's long tradition of teaching on the
dignity of work. Together, we'll explore what it means to be makers in the image of a
Maker and consider what human work is ultimately for in an age of increasingly
intelligent machines.
Presenter: The Rev. Michael W. Delashmutt PhD is Senior Vice President, Dean of
Chapel, and Associate Professor of
Relationship, Not Résumés: The Church in the Age of AI
Host: The Rt. Rev. Nicholas Knisely
Info: As artificial intelligence reshapes our work, our knowledge, and our relationships over
the coming decade, the church's question is not how capable these machines will
become but who we are becoming alongside them. The market measures us by output
and efficiency and by our résumés. The gospel measures us by communion and by
relationship. This talk offers an honest, hype-free map of where AI (and quantum
computing) actually stand and where they are likely headed in the next decade, then
turns to what only a faith community can name: that formation requires the very friction
AI is built to remove, that presence and attention are spiritual goods no companion-app
can supply, and that the slow communion of saints is the one thing we must refuse to
outsource
The Rt. Rev. Nicholas Knisely is the 13 th Bishop of Rhode Island. He serves on The
Episcopal Church’s AI Task Force and is a member of the Society of Ordained
Scientists. He is the author of several books including, Lent is Not Rock
Faithful AI: Discernment in Action
Host: Scott Lyon
Info: As AI rapidly enters church life, how can faith communities embrace its benefits without
compromising their theological convictions or pastoral responsibilities? Drawing on real-
world Solace deployments across Episcopal, Lutheran, and other Christian
communities, this session explores what churches are actually learning as they move
from theory to practice. We'll examine emerging best practices for AI governance,
theological integrity, and human oversight - and discuss how faithful discernment can
help churches deploy AI wisely, ethically, and in service of their mission
Presenter: Scott Lyon is CEO of Solace, a leading provider of AI assistants for
churches, denominations, and faith communities. He is a graduate of Standford
University and Harvard Business School.
Mystics, Monks, and Technology
Host: The Rev. Kevin Goodrich OP PhD
Info: What can we learn from the mystics and monks of the Christian faith in responding to
our new technological age? How can their insights and practices help us live more fully
today?
The Rev. Kevin Goodrich OP PhD is a Dominican friar and priest and serves as the
pastor of Christ Church. He is the author of several books, including, A Pilgrimage of the
Heart: Walter Hilton and the English Mystical Tradition.
Tweens, Teens, and Screens: Kids and Technology
Info: Join parents for an interactive conversation, not among experts, but among those
actively parenting their children, about kids, devices, and all things tech.
This session will be facilitated by Christ Church’s Children and Youth Ministry Directors
and parents who work with tech in the parish. All are welcome at this session, parent or
not.
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
USD 15.00
