Nearly all US pastors (94%) are worried about artificial intelligence (AI) misinterpreting the Bible, according to recent research. According to a study by the religious think tank Barna, pastors were more worried about how AI might affect scripture than ordinary churchgoers.
“The survey also showed that pastors’ and practicing Christians’ expectations of AI differed significantly. While only 10% of pastors want AI to identify the “correct” reading of a challenging Bible passage, practicing Christians are 2.5 times more likely to seek a definitive response
In response to Barna’s question about what AI should do when confronted with passages that have conflicting interpretations, three out of five pastors (60%) stated that AI should present all the major interpretations and explain the differences, without endorsing the “best” interpretation.
“However, only about 25% of practicing Christians supported this strategy, and another 25% wanted AI to identify the “best” interpretation. However, 20% of average believers and 5% of pastors stated that AI shouldn’t provide any of its own interpretations when presenting disputed scripture.
“Regarding how AI should deal with ambiguity in scripture, every group surveyed expressed a desire for AI to display various interpretations side by side. While only one in three practicing Christians support this approach, two out of five pastors do.
“While roughly one-third of pastors preferred AI to cite scholarly disagreement and name the sources of disputes, Christians were more likely to want AI to include disclaimers or caveats. Pastors seem to want people to use the tool, but to let it push them to think for themselves and expand their understanding, stated David Copeland, vise president of research at Barna.
“When writing dozens of sermons a year, it is necessary to compare an interpretation to several commentaries and traditions before choosing what to teach. Sometimes the greatest gift you can give someone isn’t what you know, but rather how you came to know it. The “.