
Faith Matters Faith on the Frontier of AI: A Conversation with Medlir Mema
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Oct 26, 2025 In this enlightening discussion, Medlir Mema, the Head of the AI Governance Programme at the Global Governance Institute and Professor at BYU-Idaho, dives into the intersection of faith and artificial intelligence. He compares AI to the discovery of fire, highlighting its transformative potential for society. Topics include the existential impact of AI on jobs and identity, the importance of aligning AI with human values, and how it might reshape trust in institutions. Medlir urges faith communities to engage actively with these changes to ensure a future grounded in deep values.
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AI As An Era-Defining Shift
- AI is an era-defining technology that could reshape society similar to fire or the steam engine.
- Its potential for emergent capabilities like sentience makes it qualitatively different from past waves of tech.
Automation Threatens The Social Contract
- Widespread job automation could erode the social contract by making many citizens economically redundant.
- That shift risks weakening democratic legitimacy if citizens no longer contribute economically.
From Pattern Recognition To Agentic Systems
- Current AI is primarily statistical pattern recognition, with narrow and generative AI dominating today's landscape.
- Newer agentic systems can act on goals and interact autonomously, blurring lines of perceived agency.



