Ethical AI for Christians: What Would Jesus Code?

Technology is no longer just a tool-it's becoming a value system. Behind every algorithm is a philosophy. Behind every app, a worldview. As followers of Christ, we must ask: if Jesus were a coder, an AI engineer, or a data scientist, how would His values shape the digital world?

Jesus taught that the greatest commandment is to love God with our entire being-heart, soul, and mind. The mind includes not just our thoughts, but what we design, build, and deploy into the world. Today's developers wield enormous influence. AI systems are making decisions about justice, healthcare, warfare, and even relationships. That makes ethical formation in tech a spiritual issue.

Real-World Reflection

Take facial recognition software. On the surface, it seems neutral-just identifying faces, right? But these systems have been shown to misidentify women and people of color at much higher rates than white men. The design wasn't malicious-it simply didn't include enough diverse data. That omission has led to wrongful arrests and invasions of privacy.

The same goes for language models that learn from the internet. If trained without spiritual discernment, these systems repeat the biases, cruelty, and misinformation of the world. Would Jesus ever build a system that learned to lie, discriminate, or manipulate?

No. He would code with compassion, clarity, and love. He would never exploit attention for profit. He wouldn't design addictive systems that erode human dignity. He would prioritize relationships over reach.

Ethical AI for Christians begins here-with the heart of Jesus shaping our digital decisions.

Reflection Questions

1. What values did Jesus prioritize in His earthly ministry? How can those values guide modern technology?
2. Think of a recent tech innovation. Would Jesus support it, challenge it, or redesign it?
3. What does it mean to love God with your mind in the age of algorithms?