When Technology Meets Theology: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Religious Thought (187)

<p>AI and Faith: Exploring God, Technology, and What It Means to Be Human with D.Z. Kalman on Compass: Finding Spirituality in the Everyday. We're featuring a conversation on how artificial intelligence is reshaping our understanding of religion, ethics, and humanity itself. D.Z. Kalman draws us into Jewish and interfaith perspectives on questions like: Can AI help us find new meaning in ancient texts? Does technology challenge our unique status as beings “created in the image of God”? How are faith communities adapting—and what moral boundaries should guide us as creators?</p><p>D.Z. Kalman is a leading thinker at the intersection of Judaism and technology. As a Research Fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute, he directs a research group on Judaism and AI. He’s Senior Advisor at Sinai and Synapses and hosts the Belief in the Future podcast. D.Z. is passionate about helping religious communities navigate the ethical and theological questions posed by emerging technologies, drawing wisdom from both Jewish tradition and broader interfaith conversations.</p><p>In this episode:</p><p>00:00 Where are you using AI today?</p><p>05:21 Tower of Babel and Human Priorities</p><p>07:49 AI as a child metaphor</p><p>12:48 AI, theology, and ethical implications</p><p>14:27 AI and theological parallels</p><p>17:24 AI challenging human uniqueness</p><p>22:40 Centralized faiths and AI response</p><p>26:50 Ethical considerations in AI prompts</p><p>29:09 AI's potential long-term impact</p><p>34:02 Shifting focus to technology studies</p><p>36:25 Exploring spirituality and technology</p><p>Explore more episodes and resources at umc.org/compass<br />Find D.Z.’s work at jellomenorah.com and listen to his podcast, Belief in the Future.</p>