AI Ethics, Christian Ministry and Ambient Automation - Miles DeBenedictis

<p>Artificial intelligence is already changing how pastors research, write, communicate, and manage the practical demands of ministry. But does using AI necessarily make a preacher less faithful, less authentic, or less dependent upon God?</p><p>Mike Neglia speaks with pastor, theologian, and AI developer Miles DeBenedictis about the opportunities and ethical challenges that artificial intelligence presents for Christian ministry. Rather than offering either uncritical enthusiasm or fearful rejection, Miles encourages pastors to think carefully about authorship, disclosure, human responsibility, and the nature of consciousness itself.</p><p>The conversation explores practical uses of AI in sermon preparation and church administration, including research assistance, prayer-request processing, Bible translation, and tools that can preserve more time for prayer, pastoral care, and the ministry of the Word. Mike and Miles also consider the dangers of pastoral deepfakes, cloned voices, deceptive content, autonomous AI agents, and outsourcing the spiritual and intellectual work that belongs to the preacher.</p><p>At the heart of the episode is a deeper theological question: what does it mean to be human? Miles argues that the church needs a robust biblical anthropology—grounded in the image of God—if it is going to respond wisely to claims about machine intelligence and artificial consciousness.</p><p>The episode concludes with a practical look at SermonBrief, a research tool designed to assist preachers without writing their sermons for them, and a memorable reminder that AI generally amplifies the habits, convictions, and character already present in the person using it.</p><p><strong>Special offer for Expositors Collective listeners</strong></p><p><strong>Receive 20% off SermonBrief for your first year with the code:</strong></p><p><strong>EXPOSITORS</strong></p><p>Learn more and sign up:</p><p>SermonBrief<br /><a href="https://sermonbrief.com/" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://sermonbrief.com/</a></p><p><strong>About Miles DeBenedictis</strong></p><p>Miles DeBenedictis is the senior pastor of Cross Connection Church in Escondido, California, where he has served since 2008. He has nearly three decades of pastoral and Bible-teaching experience and is pursuing doctoral studies in artificial intelligence ethics at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.</p><p>Miles is also the founder and CEO of Nomion AI, which develops technology for churches, pastors, and Christian organizations. His ministry and technology work has included collaboration with Enduring Word and Blue Letter Bible.</p><p>Cross Connection Church<br /><a href="https://ccchurch.com/" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://ccchurch.com/</a></p><p>Miles DeBenedictis on Substack<br /><a href="https://pastormiles.substack.com/" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://pastormiles.substack.com/</a></p><p>Nomion AI<br /><a href="https://nomion.ai/" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://nomion.ai/</a></p><p>Line Upon Line — Miles DeBenedictis teaching archive<br /><a href="https://www.lineuponline.com/" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.lineuponline.com/</a></p><p>Miles DeBenedictis at Blue Letter Bible<br /><a href="https://www.blueletterbible.org/audio_video/debenedictis_miles/" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.blueletterbible.org/audio_video/debenedictis_miles/</a></p><p>The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary<br /><a href="https://www.sbts.edu/" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.sbts.edu/</a></p><p><strong>Resources mentioned</strong></p><p><strong>Ministry and preaching resources</strong></p><p>SermonBrief — AI-assisted sermon research created to support the preacher’s study without writing the sermon<br /><a href="https://sermonbrief.com/" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://sermonbrief.com/</a></p><p>Docent Gr