Church Clarifies Limits on AI Use
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has acknowledged the rising role of artificial intelligence in society and its own operations but is drawing firm boundaries around its application in sacred contexts. Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles emphasized that while AI can serve valuable purposes, it cannot replace divine inspiration or personal spiritual effort.
Speaking at the Organized Intelligence conference held at the Church Office Building in Salt Lake City, Elder Gong addressed the topic of AI and discipleship. He made it clear that AI will not be used to create images of Jesus Christ or Heavenly Father, nor will it aid in preparing general conference talks.
AI and Divine Inspiration
“We know artificial intelligence cannot replace revelation or generate truth from God,” Elder Gong said. “Nor should we allow AI to come between us and our personal relationship with God.” He stressed that general conference talks are divinely inspired and must remain the product of spiritual preparation and revelation, not algorithms or code.
Elder Gong emphasized that the Church instructs its general conference speakers to avoid using AI in drafting their messages, maintaining that the sacred nature of these messages requires personal spiritual labor. “Because AI cannot replace divine inspiration, nor the individual work that invites it, we ask general conference speakers not to use AI to create initial drafts or final versions of their messages,” he explained.
AI’s Role at Church Headquarters
While AI is being studied and integrated into various departments at Church headquarters to support its global operations, Elder Gong made it clear that spiritual matters require a different standard. “AI algorithms do not love, bless or relate to us by divine covenant,” he said. “In no fundamental way can AI enter into covenantal relationships or bring covenantal blessings.”
Despite these limitations, Elder Gong said the Church recognizes AI’s potential to contribute to human flourishing and the common good, provided it is used responsibly. “The fact that a technology can be misused does not mean it should never be used,” he stated.
Guardrails for Church Members
While no official policy was set for individual members, Elder Gong encouraged Latter-day Saints to avoid relying on AI for spiritual tasks, such as writing sacrament meeting talks or preparing seminary homework. “We are teaching church members that we will not grow spiritually if we allow AI to write our sacrament talks or do our seminary homework,” he said.
He added that the Church generally avoids using AI-generated images or voices, particularly when portraying deity. “The Church does not use AI-generated images depicting Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ,” Elder Gong stated. “It also will not clone the voices of Church leaders.”
Faith-Based Perspectives on AI
The Organized Intelligence conference explored Latter-day Saint perspectives on AI. Researchers presented findings showing how Church members are engaging with AI tools. Matthew Miles of BYU-Idaho and Peter Cardon of USC categorized members into three groups: “Silicon Saints,” who integrate AI into their faith; “Compartmentalizers,” who separate AI from spiritual life; and “Spiritual Skeptics,” who are wary of AI’s role in religious matters.
Despite varied attitudes, most members agreed AI is useful for family history work and gospel study. However, many expressed concerns about misinformation and the appropriateness of using AI in spiritual contexts.
Potential for Educational AI Tools
Elder Kim B. Clark, an emeritus General Authority Seventy and former commissioner of the Church Educational System, discussed the potential for AI tutors to assist students in CES programs. He envisioned a secure, custom-built AI system designed to help students achieve deep personal learning while maintaining doctrinal integrity.
“AI has the potential to be really powerful in our quest for deep learning,” Elder Clark said. “But it also brings serious traps, pitfalls and challenges. Reaping the benefits and avoiding the traps depends on the kind of relationship we establish with the tools of AI.”
A Safe Chatbot for Church Questions
Josh Coates, executive director of the B.H. Roberts Foundation, introduced LDSBot, an AI chatbot designed to answer questions about the Church. Trained on Church-approved materials including scriptures, conference talks, and the General Handbook, LDSBot has facilitated over 900,000 conversations in 84 languages.
“Over 90% of users are seeking sincere information about faith, scripture, policy and doctrine,” Coates said. He emphasized that LDSBot serves as a safe space for individuals to explore their questions before seeking guidance from Church leaders.
Top user queries focused on topics like doctrine, personal belief, and spiritual preparedness. One user asked, “I want to serve a mission, but what if I don’t know that God and Jesus Christ are real, but I believe and hope they are? Is that enough to serve a mission?”
Coates noted that such questions reflect the desire for genuine spiritual exploration and connection.
This article is inspired by content from Original Source. It has been rephrased for originality. Images are credited to the original source.