Artificial Intelligence (AI) is not a new concept, but in recent years it has fueled amazing new capabilities, from computer vision to language processing. Developed with enormous volumes and diversity of data and unprecedented computing power, large-scale AI systems have begun to manifest emergent—unplanned, unexpected, unexplainable—capabilities. This seminar will cover, at a high level, the foundations for AI technology, where it has excelled, and an update on the use of AI in diverse contexts. We will discuss how AI systems work (without formulae or buzzwords), what we might expect in the future, and how AI systems are playing an increasingly central role in culture and society. We will also grapple with how individuals, churches, and ministries might approach and evaluate AI applications as well as broader questions regarding potential impacts on society. This will include a framework for evaluating the use of AI, including responsibility, trustworthiness, goal alignment, and ethics.
