Record STMT-M171Aspirational

Artificial Intelligence: An Evangelical Statement of Principles

Principles Religious / canonicalGlobaladopted

This document outlines an evangelical statement of principles on artificial intelligence, emphasizing human dignity, the image of God, and the appropriate boundaries and uses of technology. It features twelve articles addressing various domains including medicine, work, privacy, security, war, and public policy, affirming the potential benefits of AI while rejecting applications that degrade human worth or replace human moral agency. The statement is supported by a series of evangelical leaders and researchers.

Summary and content fields are drawn from the document text and are pending editorial review.

Who issued it

The Ethics and Religious Liberty CommissionCivil society · US

Lead issuer

Legal forceAspirational

Under whose authorityReligious / canonical

Judged fromabstract

Who it governs

Religious communityGeneral publicResearchers and academics

Christians, church leaders, and theologians seeking guidance on how to ethically engage with artificial intelligence from an evangelical perspective.

Sectors

Religion and culture · evangelical Christianity and theologyCross-sector

What the document contains

What's covered

The document addresses the theological, ethical, and practical implications of artificial intelligence across various domains including medicine, work, privacy, security, warfare, and public policy. It establishes explicit affirmations and denials regarding human exceptionalism, the limits of technological capability, and the necessity of human moral accountability.

What's missing

Readers looking for technical regulatory frameworks, legally enforceable compliance mechanisms, or specific software definitions will not find them here, as the statement focuses purely on theological and ethical principles.

Key takeaways

Every human being is created in the image of God and possesses intrinsic, equal worth that technology must never usurp or diminish.
While AI is a useful tool for reasoning and data processing, it lacks moral agency, and humans cannot cede their moral accountability to machines.
Medical applications of AI are expressions of common grace and should be guided by ethics like beneficence and non-maleficence, without viewing technology as a means to complete or redesign human beings.
Data collection and AI deployment must respect privacy and personal property rights, avoiding manipulative or coercive practices.
The use of AI in warfare must be governed by just war principles and love of neighbor, with mandatory human oversight for any lethal action.

Principles it states

God created each human being in His image with intrinsic and equal worth, dignity, and moral agency.Innovation should serve the glory of God, human flourishing, and love of neighbor.Technology is not morally neutral and must not be used to devalue or degrade human dignity.

Outline

· Preamble
· Article 1: Image of God
· Article 2: AI as Technology
· Article 3: Relationship of AI & Humanity
· Article 4: Medicine
· Article 5: Bias
· Article 6: Sexuality
· Article 7: Work
· Article 8: Data & Privacy
· Article 9: Security
· Article 10: War
· Article 11: Public Policy
· Article 12: The Future of AI

Issued11 April 2019

Length3,105 words

FormatNot recorded

Scopeglobal

How it scores

Pending review

Each score is backed by a quote verified against the document text. Editorial review has not yet confirmed them.

Accountability

4/5

Clear responsibility for AI outcomes

When these systems are deployed, human agents bear full moral responsibility for any actions taken by the system.

Article 10: War

screening score · 2026-10-23

Fairness

3/5

Non-discrimination and equitable treatment

AI should be designed and used in such ways that treat all human beings as having equal worth and dignity. AI should be utilized as a tool to identify and eliminate bias inherent in human decision-making.

Article 5: Bias

screening score · 2026-10-23

Human Dignity

5/5

Respect for the inherent worth of persons

Evangelical Christians hold fast to the inerrant and infallible Word of God, which states that every human being is made in God’s image and thus has infinite value and worth in the eyes of their Creator.

Preamble

screening score · 2026-10-23

Human Oversight

4/5

Humans remain in control of consequential decisions

Any lethal action conducted or substantially enabled by AI must employ human oversight or review.

Article 10: War

screening score · 2026-10-23

Privacy

3/5

Protection of personal data and private life

We affirm that privacy and personal property are intertwined individual rights and choices that should not be violated by governments, corporations, nation-states, and other groups, even in the pursuit of the common good.

Article 8: Data & Privacy

screening score · 2026-10-23

Transparency

1/5

Openness about how AI systems work and are used

AI should not be employed in ways that distort truth through the use of generative applications.

Article 8: Data & Privacy

screening score · 2026-10-23

Enforcement

0/5

Consequences and compliance mechanisms with real force

None

screening score · 2026-10-23

Impact Assessment

1/5

Required assessment of an AI system's risks/impacts before or during use

We desire to equip the church to proactively engage the field of AI, rather than responding to these issues after they have already affected our communities.

Preamble

screening score · 2026-10-23

Topics

human_dignity christian_ethics moral_agency data_privacy future_of_work