The European Christian Internet Conference opened under the theme "What is truth? Ethical and Practical Issues in the Use of Artificial Intelligence."

The ECIC conference has drawn speakers with diverse insights into a rapidly changing world in which AI is increasing its foothold, the World Council of Churches reported on Sept. 9.

Agnieszka Godfrejów-Tarnogórska, president of the ECIC network and a communication officer of the Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Poland, spoke about the issue during a prayer ceremony.

She made her pitch at the conference's opening prayer referring to Jesus's response to Pilate—that he came into the world to testify the truth.

"It reminds us that truth is not an abstract concept, but living reality grounded in the person of Christ," Godfrejów-Tarnogórska said.

"When we as Christian communicators work with digital technologies, we are called to witness the truth in the world increasingly mediated by algorithms and data."

Back in June, the Virginia Theological Seminary wrote that as artificial Intelligence (AI) rapidly permeates our world, the church must grapple with its profound implications, or we risk being caught behind the curve.

It referred to the AI & The Church Summit, a joint initiative of TryTank, Presbyterian Church (USA), and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), that fostered dialogue on the issue from Aug. 12-15 in Seattle.

Such is the interest on AI that on Oct. 1 the WCC will cohost a webinar titled, "Theology & Artificial Intelligence: Systematic and Denominational Perspectives."

It will explore how generative AI and trans-humanism challenge our understanding of personhood and the image of God.

The WCC will cohost the event with the Canadian Council of Churches and the webinar is the second in a series of faith and life sciences webinars on artificial intelligence, said the WCC.