AI and faith converge in Silicon Valley

Christianity and tech appear to be converging alongside the development of artificial intelligence (AI) and the questions it’s raising for developers in Silicon Valley.

Prominent figures in the tech world like Peter Thiel, co-founder of PayPal and Palantir, and former Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger, have both spoken out recently about their Christian beliefs, particularly in the context of technological breakthroughs such as AI.

Thiel even gave a series of talks this autumn on the Antichrist and criticised regulators or the “legionnaires of the Antichrist” for wanting to “stop science”. Although his comments have drawn significant criticism, Thiel’s talks were sold out, signalling an appetite for this kind of religious rhetoric in the tech space.

Denise Lee Yohn, who co-founded the evangelical Bay Area Center for Faith, Work & Tech, told The Times that the growing interest in Christianity in Silicon Valley largely stems from the questions around the creation and use of AI.

“I think that people are asking themselves and each other: ‘What does it mean to be human, if we can be gods? Should we be gods?’ ” she said.

Thiel’s recent lectures were organised by the evangelical ACTS 17 Collective, a nonprofit that stands for Acknowledging Christ in Technology and Society. ACTS 17 – “where tech founders, producers, designers, and creatives talk candidly about how faith and work collide,” according to its website – also hosted an event this summer where Gelsinger spoke to the hundreds of people in attendance.

“Such a deep discussion on the ‘Holy Shift’ across life, AI, leadership and faith. Thank you all for joining us!” he posted on LinkedIn following the event. “Strong response from those present on the role of the Mentor, the heart of David from the Bible as a leader, and the need to shape AI as a technological force for good.”

Gelsinger founded Transforming the Bay with Christ in 2013 and has referred to Silicon Valley as his “mission field”, according to The Guardian. He also spoke at the “AI for Humanity” conference at Colorado Christian University in October which explored some of the dangers of technology as well as how Christians can use AI for good.

Comparing the development of AI to that of the printing press, Gelsinger encouraged the audience to consider the opportunity AI presents when aligned with Christian beliefs.

“The church embraced that great invention of the day to literally change humanity,” he said. “And so my question today is: are we going to embrace [and] shape AI as a technology that truly does become a powerful embodiment of the church and the expression of the church?”

However, major concerns about AI are being raised from other quarters. In an interview with The New York Times, Christian author Paul Kingsnorth discussed the potentially destructive consequences of AI. “I think people like Peter Thiel are involved in building something which is becoming quite openly evil,” he said in the interview, noting that he is fascinated by “these kind of billionaires who are involved in creating weapons systems and surveillance technology who are also talking from a Christian perspective.”

“When they start to talk about uploading their minds into the silicon substrate you’ve got effectively a kind of digital Christian heresy going on,” Kingsnorth continued. “You’ve got Christianity without Christ. We create heaven. We create a place in which we can live eternal lives and we ultimately create beings which we regard as gods.”