Join us @ Holy Cross College for a Conversation about:

Artificial Intelligence and the Image of God

This term I’m teaching a class on the literature of discovery and invention, essentially a Sci-Fi class. While developing the course, I teamed up with my colleague (and former NASA astrophysicist) Dr. Martin Sulkanen to create a syllabus that would work in tandem with his “Great Ideas in Science” course. As we talked about the great stories around AI–and the real threat such technologies might pose–we thought it would be both exciting and enlightening to bring together scholars working on Artificial Intelligence and theologians exploring the ethics of AI to discuss the possibilities, problems and questions that arise when creatures bearing God’s image (Genesis 1:26) start developing computer intelligence that can augment and even supplant human responsibility.

On November 12, I will be facilitating this conversation involving computer scientists, robotics engineers, and scholars from Notre Dame’s “Center for Theology, Science, and Human Flourishing.” The hour-long event will include a brief presentation followed by an open discussion among our panelists.

As a primer to the conversation,
read & watch:

• Is AI a Threat to Christianity? Are you there, God? It’s I, robot.
  by Jonathan Merritt (The Atlantic), 2017
• Rumors of AI Wars: Where Google and the Bible Agree
  by Jason Thacker (Christianity Today), 2018
• Siri, Pray For Me
  by James F. McGrath (Patheos), 2016
• Artificial Intelligence and the Soul
  by Russell C. Bjork (The American Scientific Affiliation), 2008
• Can we build AI without losing control over it?
  by Sam Harris (Ted Talk), 2016