Growing up, television was a significant part of my life, and I feel confident in saying that what I was exposed to had either a direct or indirect influence on my behavior, interests, and understanding of the world. Two television shows that come to mind are Baywatch and Touched by an Angel. Although created for different audiences, both influenced my life in meaningful ways.
I remember rushing home after school to watch Baywatch and see who the lifeguards would save. That show influenced my desire to become a lifeguard, a skill and profession that remains part of my life today. Touched by an Angel influenced me spiritually and morally, reminding me that God loves me and desires that I use my gifts and talents to make a difference in the world.
These examples demonstrate how technology can influence our behavior and moral and spiritual formation. Artificial intelligence has that same potential, whether for good or harm. As believers and religious leaders, we have a responsibility to understand its influence and guide those entrusted to our spiritual care.
In “Moral Attention Is All You Need,” Mark Graves warns that without informed and scholarly contributions, AI researchers may develop ethical standards that fail to account for the complexity of human moral experiences.¹ This raises another concern for me: whose morality will AI learn? Marriage, for example, is understood differently across religious traditions regarding gender and the number of people involved. What one religious community considers moral, another may not.
AI can and should assist humanity, but it should never replace human moral judgment. From the theological perspective of stewardship, we remain accountable to God for our decisions. As AI continues to evolve into the unknown, moral theology must help guide its development through human dignity, justice, compassion, and religious diversity. Ultimately, our responsibility is not simply to teach people how to use AI, but to help them develop the spiritual maturity and moral discernment to evaluate what it produces.
Footnote
Mark Graves, “Moral Attention Is All You Need,” Theology and Science 23, no. 2 (2025): 245, https://doi.org/10.1080/14746700.2025.2472118.
Acknowledgment of AI Assistance
I used OpenAI's ChatGPT (GPT-6) to assist with brainstorming, organizing my ideas, reviewing grammar and sentence structure, improving transitions, and formatting citations for this reflection paper. The personal experiences, theological perspectives, biblical interpretations, and central arguments presented in this paper reflect my own thoughts and understanding. AI was used as a resource to support the writing and revision process, not as a substitute for my personal theological reflection, critical thinking, or moral judgment.
Bibliography
Graves, Mark. “Moral Attention Is All You Need.” Theology and Science 23, no. 2 (2025): 241–248. https://doi.org/10.1080/14746700.2025.2472118.
