US Evangelical leaders are urging President Donald Trump to help guide the development of artificial intelligence (AI) while addressing its potential dangers. A letter titled "Christianity in the Age of AI: An Appeal for Wise Leadership," released on Wednesday, expresses optimism about AI while acknowledging the risks posed by smarter-than-human machines.
Among the signatories are Rev. Johnnie Moore, president of the Congress of Christian Leaders; Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference and pastor of New Season megachurch in Sacramento, California; Assemblies of God General Superintendent Doug Clay; and American Association of Christian Counselors President Tim Clinton, among others.
"As people of faith, we believe we should rapidly develop powerful AI tools that help cure diseases and solve practical problems, but not autonomous smarter-than-human machines that nobody knows how to control," the letter continued. "The spiritual implications of creating intelligence that may one day surpass human capabilities raises profound theological and ethical questions that must be thoughtfully considered with wisdom."
The letter calls for Trump to establish a presidential advisory council composed of "people of faith, ethicists, and others" to ensure AI aligns with ethical and human-centered values. "We write to suggest you convene an advisory council, or otherwise delegate authority to an existing agency or council, which would convene leaders who will pay attention especially not only to what AI CAN do but also what it SHOULD do," the letter reads.
"We also hope that the US is doing everything necessary to ensure nefarious actors are unable to use AI to harm our way of life. All of these efforts should involve people of faith, ethicists, and others whose primary motivating concern is not commercial but about the best outcomes for human beings."
According to Christian Post, Moore, a public relations executive and author, emphasized the need for the U.S. to move quickly, yet cautiously, to maintain its leadership role. "We have to move faster than any country in the world and achieve maximal innovation as quickly as possible to make sure we, and our allies, dominate this new age," said Moore. "But we have to recognize how disruptive and potentially dangerous this technology can be if we do this irresponsibly."
While prioritizing the "need to identify the risks and have real plans to measure and manage those risks," Moore outlined various risks, including the weaponization of AI "by certain actors," the potential disruption of "certain sectors reliant on knowledge work," and the more apocalyptic threat of "uncontrollable machines." To that end, Moore suggested the proposed advisory council should be "non-partisan and merit-based" — comparable to other presidential advisory boards — and independent of lobbyists.
Moore and Rodriguez have invited both Christian and non-Christian faith leaders to join in signing the letter, which will be delivered to the White House in the coming days.
