This post is part four of a five-part series reflecting on each session of a conference hosted by Notre Dame University. It was led by Christopher Watkin (Associate Professor of French Studies at Monash University, Melbourne). The goal of the conference, and goal of these reflections, was to engage thoughtfully with AI from a Christian perspective, consistent with our vision at Barker as a Christian leader in education.

In the fourth session of the conference, Watkins encouraged listeners to begin by looking behind the screen. Every interaction with AI depends on a vast network of people, institutions, infrastructure, and labour that often remains invisible. A Biblical response to AI therefore requires us to ask: Who bears the cost of these systems? Whose labour is hidden? And who disappears from our moral imagination when technology feels effortless?

These questions become particularly important when discussing loneliness. AI developers increasingly claim that conversational technologies can help address the loneliness epidemic. However this optimism must be questioned as AI may create the appearance of companionship without providing the reality.

Reflecting on ElliQ, an AI chatbot designed for older adults (CBS, 2024), Watkins highlighted the difference between being taken care of and being cared for. Being taken care of reflects a utilitarian vision of life focused on outcomes and efficiency. Being cared for reflects a relational vision grounded in love and human dignity.

While AI may imitate aspects of companionship, it cannot satisfy our deepest desire to be truly known and loved.

From a Biblical perspective, these longings ultimately point to Christ, who knows us fully and loves us completely. AI can mirror elements of relationship, but it cannot replace genuine human presence. This raises a pressing question: what picture of care is being normalised if technological companionship becomes society's preferred response to loneliness?

This question naturally leads to an exploration of trust. AI, Watkins argued, is not merely a productivity technology; it is fundamentally a trust technology.

Drawing on Joseph Henrich's The Weirdest People in the World (Henrich, 2021), Watkins traced a historical migration of trust: from known individuals, to institutions, to abstract systems, and now increasingly to algorithms and large language models. We are becoming accustomed to trusting systems that most of us do not understand.

Yet something important changes when trust shifts from persons to systems. Personal trust involves accountability, vulnerability, and shared understanding. Algorithms may provide reliability, but they cannot offer the mutuality of human relationships. AI is reshaping not only how trust works, but also how we imagine community and responsibility.

Finally, Watkins reflected on language itself. Language communicates presence, commitment, and relationship.

AI can help us find the right words when we struggle to express ourselves. Used in this way, it can be a valuable assistant. But when it becomes a substitute for human presence, something essential is lost.

This can be seen in the controversy over an AI-generated condolence email sent by Vanderbilt University where the words were correct, but they were seen as soulless by the recipients as they had not been written by a human. Wakins argued that words are more than information. They are acts of witness.

As AI becomes increasingly woven into everyday life, Biblical wisdom invites us to resist evaluating technology solely by its efficiency. The deeper questions concern trust, truth, love, and human flourishing. The future of AI is not simply about what machines can do, but about what kind of people we are becoming.

References

CBS. (2024, March 21). How an AI-powered robot provides companionship to lonely seniors. CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/video/how-an-ai-powered-robot-provides-companionship-to-lonely-seniors/

Henrich, J. (2021) The Weirdest People in the World. Penguin Press.

Rev. Craig Tubman

Craig Tubman serves as the Community Chaplain at Barker College. He has been in School’s Ministry for 17 years, serving previously as Senior Chaplain at St Andrews Cathedral School and The Cranbrook School. He is the Chair of the Sydney Anglican Schools Ministry Association (SASMA) and on the Sydney Anglican Diocesan Policy Statement on Education Review Committee. He is currently completing a Theological Research Masters on the topic of the role of the Chaplain in a Sydney Anglican School.