Global Missional AI PodcastSeason 1, Episode 11: "Digital Bible Engagement Summit"
In this episode, recorded live from Switzerland, host Joshua Seale brings together three leading voices in AI and faith to explore the rapidly evolving intersection of artificial intelligence and biblical engagement.
Featured Guests:
Key Discussion Points:
The Current AI Landscape: JP provides an overview of recent developments including GPT-5's multimodal capabilities, Google's Gemini 2.5 Pro models, and the emergence of procedurally generated virtual worlds, explaining why VR adoption may finally accelerate due to AI reducing development complexity.
Faith-Aligned AI Development: Éric shares groundbreaking research from his collaboration with Glue on benchmarking existing LLMs for faith and spirituality metrics. He reveals how their fine-tuned model improved from 55 to 75 on the 100-point scale by training on real conversations from Hello Bible rather than just feeding theological content.
Biblical Engagement in the Digital Age: Drawing on his research for "People of the Screen," John explores the opportunities and risks of AI-mediated scripture engagement, examining the shift from "Bible first, event later" to "AI first" approaches where people bring their issues to AI systems that then point them toward biblical wisdom.
Ethical Boundaries: The panel discusses critical boundaries in AI development for faith contexts, including Éric's firm stance against creating Jesus avatars and the importance of maintaining clear distinctions between AI assistance and divine communication.
European Perspective: Reflecting on the recent Missional AI London gathering of 160 leaders from 25 countries, the guests discuss how European approaches to AI in ministry differ from US contexts and the growing need for both technologists working in faith contexts and believers working in tech companies.
Theological Implications: John frames the broader question of what it means to be human in an age of AI, exploring themes around the image of God, human relationships, and building technology worthy of God's kingdom.
This episode offers a balanced perspective on leveraging AI for biblical engagement while maintaining theological integrity and addressing the complex ethical considerations that emerge at the intersection of faith and advanced technology.
Episode Length: 35:17
Recorded: September 1, 2025
Location: Switzerland