Artificial Intelligence and Its Effects on Christian Youths’ Spirituality
Main Article Content
Abstract
The advent of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has revolutionised the way Christian youths engage with spirituality. This study examines the impact of AI on Christian youths' perceptions of spirituality, investigating the intricate interplay between technology, faith, and identity. Christian youths are growing up in a world where AI-driven technologies are increasingly ubiquitous. Social media, online forums, and AI-powered spiritual tools are reshaping the way they experience and express their spirituality. However, the impact of AI on Christian youths' perception of spirituality remains poorly understood. This study employs a critical discourse analysis approach to examine how AI-driven technologies are represented and negotiated within Christian youth culture. A comprehensive review of existing literature on AI, spirituality, and Christian youth culture was conducted, supplemented by an analysis of online content, including social media posts, blogs, and websites. The study reveals that AI is influencing Christian youths' perception of spirituality in complex and multifaceted ways. While AI-driven technologies offer opportunities for spiritual growth and connection, they also pose challenges, such as information overload, misinformation, and the erosion of traditional spiritual authorities. This study contributes to our understanding of the intersection of AI, spirituality, and Christian youth culture. The findings highlight the need for Christian leaders to develop strategies that promote healthy and balanced engagement with AI-driven technologies. The study recommends that Christian bodies should educate members on AI's deployments, not view it as a threat, and devise strategies to combat it, introduce teens to seminars, and conduct ongoing research on AI and church spirituality to understand its merits and demerits.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Aldreabi, E. A. (2024). Ethical Algorithms: Safeguarding Freedom of Speech in the Detection of Islamophobic Content (Doctoral dissertation, State University of New York at Binghamton).
Alkhouri, K. I. (2024). The role of artificial intelligence in the study of the psychology of religion. Religions, 15(3), 290.
Arunachalam, D., Kumar, N., & Kawalek, J. P. (2018). Understanding big data analytics capabilities in supply chain management: Unravelling the issues, challenges and implications for practice. Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, 114, 416-436. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tre.2017.04.001
Atud, V. (2023). Reclaiming Focus in the Age of AI: Strategies for Deep Thinking in a Distracted Culture. Sunburst Markets.
Babu, M. V. S., & Banana, K. R. I. S. H. N. A. (2024). A study on narrow artificial intelligence—an overview. Int J Eng Sci Adv Technol, 24(4), 210-219.
Bansal, G., Chamola, V., Hussain, A., Guizani, M., & Niyato, D. (2024). Transforming conversations with AI—a comprehensive study of ChatGPT. Cognitive Computation, 1-24. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12559-023-10236-2
Bastian, M., Makhortykh, M., & Dobber, T. (2019). News personalisation for peace: how algorithmic recommendations can impact conflict coverage. International Journal of Conflict Management, 30(3), 309-328. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCMA-02-2019-0032
Bathan, L. L., & Ramos, C. D. (2021). Transformative Role of Faith-Related Twitter Expressions in Nurturing Personal Religiosity during the COVID-19 Pandemic. In PACIS (p. 195).
Bennett, M. S. (2021). What behavioural abilities emerged at key milestones in human brain evolution? 13 hypotheses on the 600millionyear phylogenetic history of human intelligence. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 685853. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.685853
Berger, T. (2017). @ Worship: Liturgical practices in digital worlds. Routledge. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315163253
Campbell, H. A., & Evolvi, G. (2020). Contextualising current digital religion research on emerging technologies. Human Behaviour and Emerging Technologies, 2(1), 517. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/hbe2.149
Cayamcela, M. E. M., & Lim, W. (2018, October). Artificial intelligence in 5G technology: A survey. In 2018 International Conference on Information and Communication Technology Convergence (ICTC) (pp. 860-865). IEEE. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/ICTC.2018.8539642
Chen, Z., & He, Y. (2024). Correlation of Christian ethics and developments in artificial intelligence. Technology Analysis & Strategic Management, 36(7), 1635-1645. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09537325.2022.2106422
Cheong, P. H. (2020). Religion, robots and rectitude: communicative affordances for spiritual knowledge and community. Applied Artificial Intelligence, 34(5), 412-431. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/08839514.2020.1723869
Christians, C. G. (2019). Media ethics and global justice in the digital age. Cambridge University Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781316585382
Chung, K., Thaichon, P., & Quach, S. (2022). Types of artificial intelligence (AI) in marketing management. In Artificial Intelligence for Marketing Management (pp. 29-40). Routledge. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003280392-4
Commoner, B. (2020). The closing circle: nature, man, and technology. Courier Dover Publications.
Dandelion, P. (2016). Religion and youth. Routledge. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315604879
Delio, I. (2020). Re-enchanting the Earth: Why AI needs religion. Orbis books.
Dick, S. (2024). Virtual Confessions: Examining The Clergy's Privileges Extension to Artificially Intelligent Religious Robots. Available at SSRN 4745527. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4745527
Dowson, R. (2020). A discussion of the practical and theological impacts of COVID-19 on religious worship, events and pilgrimage, from a Christian perspective. International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage, 8(7), 33-51.
Duan, Y., Edwards, J. S., & Dwivedi, Y. K. (2019). Artificial intelligence for decision making in the era of Big Data–evolution, challenges and research agenda. International journal of information Kodheli, O., Lagunas, E., Maturo, N., Sharma, S.K., Shankar, B., Montoya, J. F. M., ... & Goussetis, G. (2020). Satellite communications in the new space era: A survey and future challenges. IEEE Communications Surveys & Tutorials, 23(1), 70-109.management, 48, 63-71. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/COMST.2020.3028247
Dwivedi, Y. K., Hughes, L., Ismagilova, E., Aarts, G., Coombs, C., Crick, T., & Williams, M. D. (2021). Artificial Intelligence (AI): Multidisciplinary perspectives on emerging challenges, opportunities, and agenda for research, practice and policy. International journal of information management, 57, 101994. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2019.08.002
Feng, W., Zong, W., Wang, F., & Ju, S. (2020). Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2): a review. Molecular Cancer, 19, 1-14. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12943-020-01218-1
Foucault, M. (2020). Power/knowledge. In The New Social Theory Reader (pp. 73-79). Routledge. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003060963-10
Ghosh, A., Chakraborty, D., & Law, A. (2018). Artificial intelligence in the Internet of Things. CAAI Transactions on Intelligence Technology, 3(4), 208-218. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1049/trit.2018.1008
Graves, M. (2017). Shared moral and spiritual development among human persons and artificially intelligent agents. Theology and Science, 15(3), 333-351. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/14746700.2017.1335066
Iqbal, S. (2024). The Intelligence Spectrum: Unravelling the Path from ANI to ASI. Journal of Computing & Biomedical Informatics, 7(02).
Jeste, D. V., Graham, S. A., Nguyen, T. T., Depp, C. A., Lee, E. E., & Kim, H. C. (2020). Beyond artificial intelligence: exploring artificial wisdom. International Psychogeriatrics, 32(8), 993-1001. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S1041610220000927
Johnson, J. (2024). The AI Commander: Centaur Teaming, Command, and Ethical Dilemmas. Oxford University Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198892182.001.0001
Joseph, A. O., & Olalekan, D. A. (2024). Exploring The Religio-Socio Ethical Dimensions of AI-Driven Evangelism: Opportunities, Challenges, And Implications. Journal of Business and Social Sciences, 2024. DOI: https://doi.org/10.61453/jobss.v2024no17
Kang, Y. (2017). Spiritual Design Thinking: A Culturally and Technologically Informed Model of Spiritual Formation for Silicon Valley. Fuller Theological Seminary, School of Intercultural Studies.
Kim, J. Y. (2022). Analogue Christian: Cultivating Contentment, Resilience, and Wisdom in the Digital Age. InterVarsity Press.
Kim, J., Kadkol, S., Solomon, I., Yeh, H., Soh, J. Y., Nguyen, T. M., & Ajilore, O. A. (2023). AI anxiety: A comprehensive analysis of psychological factors and interventions. Available at SSRN 4573394. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4573394
Konar, A. (2018). Artificial intelligence and soft computing: behavioural and cognitive modelling of the human brain. CRC Press.
La Cruz, A., & Mora, F. (2024). Researching Artificial Intelligence Applications in Evangelical and Pentecostal/Charismatic Churches: Purity, Bible, and Mission as Driving Forces. Religions, 15(2), 234. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15020234
Longkiad, T. B. (2024). Communicating with God in the AI Era: Spirituality and Technological Transformation. Stipas Tahasak Danum Pambelum Keuskupan Palangkaraya, 1(2), 125-140.
Lowe, S. D., & Lowe, M. E. (2018). Ecologies of faith in a digital age: Spiritual growth through online education. InterVarsity Press.
Mainzer, K., & Mainzer, K. (2020). From Natural and Artificial Intelligence to Superintelligence?. Artificial When Do Machines Take Over?, 183-241. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-59717-0_10
McFeeters, M., Hammond, M., & Taylor, B. J. (2022). Christian faith-based youth work: systematic narrative review. Journal of Beliefs & Values, 43(4), 448-460. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13617672.2021.1991645
Miao, Q., & Wang, F. Y. (2024). Artificial Intelligence for Science (AI4S): Frontiers and Perspectives Based on Parallel Intelligence. Springer Nature. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-67419-8
Ndhlovu, N., & Shamuyarira, M. (2024). Listening to the stories of others in South Africa: a sacrificial listening approach in education. Diaspora, Indigenous, and Minority Education, 1-14. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/15595692.2024.2430186
Ognibene, D., Wilkens, R., Taibi, D., Hernández-Leo, D., Kruschwitz, U., Donabauer, G., ... & Eimler, S. (2023). Challenging social media threats using collective well-being-aware recommendation algorithms and an educational virtual companion. Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence, 5, 654930. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/frai.2022.654930
Ojo, S. O., Adelaja, I. J., Adio, T. O., & Afolaranmi, A. O. (2024). Assessing The Impact Of Technology On Church Services And Youth Engagement. Information Technology, 7(3), 58-72. DOI: https://doi.org/10.52589/BJCNIT-BR3RLAIL
Oluwarinde, O. E. (2024). Artificial Intelligence and Robotic Education among Christian Youths and Their Implication for Christian Theology in Contemporary Africa. Journal of African Studies and Sustainable Development, 7(2).
Oyebanji, I., Omokafe, J., Adekoya, F., Olamide, S., & Ogunbiyi.D. (2024). A religio-philosophical appraisal of moral evil about banditry in Nigeria. Corpus Intellectual, ISSN PRINT 2811-3187 ONLINE 2811-3209 Volume 3 NO 1 2024
Partarakis, N., & Zabulis, X. (2024). A review of immersive technologies, knowledge representation, and AI for human-centred digital experiences. Electronics, 13(2), 269. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics13020269
Peeters, M. M., van Diggelen, J., Van Den Bosch, K., Bronkhorst, A., Neerincx, M. A., Schraagen, J. M., & Raaijmakers, S. (2021). Hybrid collective intelligence in a human–AI society. AI & society, 36, 217-238. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00146-020-01005-y
Quazi, S., Saha, R. P., & Singh, M. K. (2022). Applications of artificial intelligence in healthcare. Journal of Experimental Biology and Agricultural Sciences, 10(1), 211-226. DOI: https://doi.org/10.18006/2022.10(1).211.226
Saez, M., Maturana, F. P., Barton, K., & Tilbury, D. M. (2018). Real-time manufacturing machine and system performance monitoring using the Internet of Things. IEEE Transactions on Automation Science and Engineering, 15(4), 1735-1748. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/TASE.2017.2784826
Schuurman, D. C. (2019). Artificial Intelligence: Discerning a Christian Response. Perspectives on Science & Christian Faith, 71(2).
Shatzer, J. (2019). Transhumanism and the image of God: Today's technology and the future of Christian discipleship. InterVarsity Press.
Singler, B. (2020). “Blessed by the algorithm”: Theistic conceptions of artificial intelligence in online discourse. AI & society, 35(4), 945-955. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00146-020-00968-2
Summerfield, C. (2022). Natural General Intelligence: How understanding the brain can help us build AI. Oxford University Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780192843883.001.0001
Thacker, J. (2022). Following Jesus in a Digital Age. B&H Publishing Group.
Tuling, R. K.(2020). What Does It Mean to Say That God Created the World? In Thinking about God: Jewish Views. Nebraska: University of Nebraska Press. (pp. 3–34). DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv13796z1.5
Umbrello, S. (2023). The intersection of Bernard Lonergan’s critical realism, the common good, and artificial intelligence in modern religious practices. Religions, 14(12), 1536. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14121536
Valcea, S., Hamdani, M. R., & Wang, S. (2024). Exploring the impact of ChatGPT on business school education: Prospects, boundaries, and paradoxes. Journal of Management Education, 48(5), 915-947. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/10525629241261313
Waters, B. (2016). From human to posthuman: Christian theology and technology in a postmodern world. Routledge. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315587431-12
World Health Organisation. (2020). Practical considerations and recommendations for religious leaders and faith-based communities in the context of COVID-19: interim guidance, 7 April 2020 (No WHO/2019-nCoV/Religious_Leaders/2020.1). World Health Organisation.
Yao, D. W. J. (2024). The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Shaping Religion and Social Studies. Convergence Chronicles, 5(1), 334-342.
Yeneakal, T. Y. (2019). AI and extremism in social networks (Master's thesis, The University of Bergen). Alkhouri, K. I. (2024). The role of artificial intelligence in the study of the psychology of religion. Religions, 15(3), 290. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15030290
Article Sidebar
