The Ethics of AI: How Far Is Too Far?

The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) has ushered in a new era of technological progress, bringing with it both unprecedented opportunities and complex ethical dilemmas. As this technology becomes more sophisticated, there are questions about AI’s capability to mimic human cognition and even surpass it. 

For some, the rise of AI means grappling with fundamental questions about the nature of intelligence and the very essence of what it means to be human. So, how far is too far when it comes to how AI is used in today’s world?  

This article features new data from Barna’s Faith and AI research—conducted in partnership with Gloo—offering a quick glimpse at some of the ways U.S. adults and Christians are okay with seeing AI show up.

When it Comes to AI-Generated Art, U.S. Adults Largely Disapprove
Already, numerous platforms and apps offer users the ability to generate art with AI. Images, voices and text are just a few of the numerous types of content that can be created with AI, and their realism sometimes rivals that of human-made art. And while almost half of U.S. adults (47%) believe AI could contribute meaningfully to creative fields such art, music or storytelling, just over one in four says “no” (27%) or is unsure (26%).

Asked how they feel about AI-generated art being treated similarly to human-made art (e.g., AI-generated art being platformed or published in ways human-made art has historically been platformed or published), U.S. adults tend to disapprove. In fact, fewer than half (44%) approve of AI-generated literature being published as a book. Even fewer support AI-generated art being displayed in a museum (39%), AI-generated music using the voices of music artists (30%) or AI-generated art imitating the style of a famous artist (29%).

U.S. adults’ strong disapproval of AI-generated music using the voices of music artists might be encouraged by recent high-profile cases and discussion in media about AI deepfakes and voice replication technology.

A sizable portion of employed U.S. adults (29%) also believe their current job could one day be replaced by AI. This apprehension about job security may contribute to the broader skepticism of AI-generated art being recognized and treated like human-created work.

Christians Draw the Line at Using AI for Counseling, Sermon Prep
Concerns about the ethical use of AI don’t just apply to art—over three in five U.S. adults who are Christian, religious or attend church (63%) agree, “I have concerns about the ethical implications of AI technologies from my religious perspective.” To gauge how this might affect churches, here’s a closer look at views among Christians:

• Christians are far more likely to say a human touch is better than AI at things like providing spiritual counseling (86%) and mental health counseling (84%)
• They also feel this way about using AI for writing sermons (63% say a human could do this task better)
• However, Christians may be more in favor of churches using AI for administrative tasks and reaching people online (40% say AI could be better than humans at helping reach people online, 35% believe this about administrative tasks)

Taken together, the data paints a picture of cautious optimism. Christians are willing to embrace AI where it enhances operational efficiency in church but remain protective of spiritual and relational areas.

As AI continues to advance, ongoing discussions about its ethical implications will be crucial. The key challenge appears to be in striking a balance between leveraging AI’s capabilities and preserving the irreplaceably human aspects of art, work and spiritual instruction.