Events

This roundtable is organized in collaboration with Initiative for the Study of Asian Catholics (ISAC) at the Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore.

CHAIRPERSON

Dr Erica M. Larson, Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore

PROGRAMME

ABSTRACT

As Artificial Intelligence (AI) continues to grow exponentially and related technologies reshape our interactions and economies, the rise of AI creates a number of questions and challenges for public institutions, social organizations, and the production of knowledge. The new possibilities generated by AI can have deep implications for economic flows, public security, national sovereignty, etc. All sectors will be impacted by this technological revolution. Religions, as complex sets of beliefs, practices, and relationships, are not exempt from these impacts. While some religious organizations and/or their followers begin to use AI-related tools to operate, they also stand as moral resources to address some of the challenges brought by the creation of AI.

This panel discussion explores the interaction between AI and Christianity. As a distinct religion with its own doctrines on humankind, social life, and the broader environment, Christianity stands as a worldwide resource to engage with challenges raised by AI. But it also informs the worldview and ethical norms of numerous AI developers and lawmakers who shape the ways in which these new technologies are developed, and users who incorporate these technologies into their daily lives. Therefore, this conversation seeks to explore aspects of the multidimensional conversations between the creation of AI and the generative potential of Christianity.

This panel discussion gathers Singapore-based practitioners of different Christian traditions (Catholic, Pentecostal, Presbyterian) who are all engaged either in the development of AI-related technologies or in scholarly research about AI and its impact on Christianity. After a brief introduction to the current state of AI, the panel will discuss core questions which shape the conversation on the development of AI in relation to Christianity such as:

• What theological principles/frameworks can guide Christian engagement with AI?
• How is AI questioning Christian beliefs and moral values?
• Does engagement with AI require new/different spiritual disciplines than previous digital technologies? How can Christian churches help Christians discern this response?

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Erica M. Larson is Research Fellow in the Religion and Globalisation Cluster at the Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore. She holds a PhD in Cultural Anthropology from Boston University, USA. Her research interests include education, religion, ethics, and politics in Indonesia and Southeast Asia more broadly. She has examined how education becomes an arena of deliberation about the ethics and politics of plural coexistence through ethnographic research in North Sulawesi, Indonesia. Her current research engages Indonesian university students active in religious organizations and their attitudes and beliefs about corruption as a lens on normative state-society relations and notions of ethics, piety, and responsibility.

William Tjhi is a machine learning expert with over a decade of experience. He earned his PhD from Nanyang Technological University’s School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering in 2008, specializing in unsupervised learning. He has since applied his expertise in various public and private sector organizations. Currently, he leads Applied Research at AI Singapore. A practicing Catholic, he participates in this event in a personal capacity. 

Wayne Choong is an adjunct lecturer at Nanyang Technological University and Singapore University of Social Sciences, specializing in digital Christianity and its impact on young people in Singapore. With a decade of experience in youth pastoral ministry and a role in strategic planning at City Harvest Church, he explores the intersection of faith and digitality. Wayne is also pursuing a Master of Arts in Leadership Studies at Vanguard University.

Benedict Chang is a Catholic theologian that specialises in the area of ethics and theology. He holds a Master in Human and Social Sciences from the University of Lorraine (France) and a Licentiate in Religious Sciences from the Pontifical University of St Thomas Aquinas (Rome). He is currently pursuing his PhD in Theology at Domuni University. His thesis is on the subject of AI and the Imago Dei. His research interests include ethics, AI, religion, families, marriage and human rights. Benedict is a baptised Catholic and he is currently the Parish Pastoral Council Exco Chairman at the Church of St Teresa.

Hoong Chuin Lau is Professor of Computer Science at the Singapore Management University. A recipient of two Singapore government scholarships, Hoong Chuin obtained his Doctorate of Engineering in Computer Science from the Tokyo Institute of Technology (Japan), and Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Computer Science from the University of Minnesota. In the global study by Stanford University published since 2020, he has been listed as top 2% scientists in the world in the field of Artificial Intelligence. He completed the Graduate Diploma of Christian Studies and Master in Christian Studies degrees at the Biblical Graduate School of Theology in 2011 and 2013 respectively. He is currently a member of the Mount Carmel Bible Presbyterian Church, serving in the Worship and Missions ministries.