AI and Bible Translation: Bridging Technology and Faith

As AI gains more and more momentum, I believe that Christians should be compelled to think biblically and carefully about the technology. Are there redemptive uses for it, and what are the dangers? Is it all a doomsday scenario, or are there ways in which it can be used for God’s glory in a responsible way that promotes human flourishing and the spread of the gospel and the edification of the Church? 

In this episode I want to share two things I came across recently that I hope will aid us in cultivating intelligent, humble, clearer thinking about AI from a Christian perspective, especially as it relates to the task of Bible translation. Organizations like Seed Company and SIL are pouring massive amounts of money into the space, each with their own specialized AI department. So what kinds of things are they saying and doing? That’s what this episode is meant to help with. A month ago the ETEN innovation lab posted a panel discussion with four men from different BT orgs talking about AI and how it is currently being used as a tool in more than 300 BT projects around the world. For some reason the video was unlisted, and I got permission from them to post the entirety of the audio in this episode so that more people can benefit from the conversation.

But before that discussion, I want to frame it with an excellent article by Andy Crouch entitled “A Redemptive Thesis for Artificial Intelligence.”

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