BIBLICAL ETHICS AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: TOWARDS A MODEL OF INTEGRATION IN THEOLOGICAL EDUCATION

Abstract

Artificial intelligence's mechanisms and inventiveness has raised some ethical or moral questions, some of which are from religious quarters, small and large societal groups, government and other organizations. The weight of the moral concerns depends on the level of the communities or societies that engage and explore this great revolution in the history of mankind. Attempts have been made to address the moral concerns, but they have not been adequately addressed from biblical perspective. From the standpoint of biblical ethics, this paper provides a thorough analysis of the primary moral questions related to the effects of artificial intelligence on human civilization. Biblical ethics is based on moral revelation in the bible. But the relevance of it to the contemporary times is also contested, that is, how significant is the individual ethical texts of the Bible to the situation of the modern man? Integration model in utilizing Artificial Intelligence for doing theological education from biblical ethics perspective may be of great value to enhance a balance for the contemporary man. Analytical approach is used to establish the coherence of biblical ethics and Artificial Intelligence for theological education. The paper reveals that the Christian ethical perspective on Artificial Intelligence is supported by several theological principles based on the fact that humans and robots are seen as having distinct essences, making them unequal; human dignity is rooted in being created in God’s image (Imago Dei), as described in Genesis 1:27-28; humans are called to prioritize their relationships with God, fellow humans, and the natural world with a sense of creativity. Artificial Intelligence is not a demon but a tool programmed by man for his own development. Employing Artificial Intelligence in a manner that promotes theological education should be encouraged.