What is this technology?

The core technology discussed in this report involves several intersecting advancements in Artificial Intelligence: large language models (LLMs) which have transitioned from narrow systems to exhibit strikingly broad and general abilities, multimodal AI systems that integrate text, images, and audio, and the emerging field of World Models. A World Model represents a fundamental shift in how an AI learns; instead of absorbing patterns from vast static datasets of text and images, it learns by interacting with an environment, real or simulated, to construct an internal, predictive understanding of how that world operates. This allows the AI to develop a causal understanding and to predict the consequences of its actions, moving its understanding from an abstract, text-based knowledge about the world to an embodied, interactive understanding of the world. Some researchers suggest that these advancements are signaling the transition from weak or narrow AI to early forms of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI).

How are people already encountering this technology?

AI has quickly embedded itself in the daily life of people, becoming a ubiquitous utility compared to electricity. People are encountering this technology through several channels:

• Ubiquitous AI Applications: This includes smart assistants, translation apps, and recommendation algorithms.
• Generative AI Tools: Cutting-edge models like the GPT series and Gemini are used for reasoning, creative writing, coding, and image analysis within a single system. For example, ChatGPT reached over 400 million weekly users in a short time.
• Multimodal Interaction: Users are interacting with AI that can see an image and answer questions about it, or converse by voice, engaging more naturally in human modes of communication.
• AI Companions: People are increasingly using chatbots and virtual agents designed to offer social and emotional support, which studies have shown can reduce feelings of loneliness and anxiety in the short term.

Where is it going?

The trend is toward more seamless, holistic, and autonomous systems:

• Integrated Agents: The future points toward a single AI agent capable of advanced reasoning, planning, and multimodal interactions out of the box, unifying specialized models into one system (e.g., GPT-5).
• Hybrid Reasoning: Models like Google’s Gemini 2.5 Flash and Anthropic’s Claude 4.5 Sonnet are adopting hybrid reasoning, which allows the AI to switch between step-by-step "slow thinking" for complex problems and direct "fast thinking" for simple tasks.
• Embodied Understanding: The significant frontier is the World Model, which aims to teach a machine the underlying principles of the created order, the very physics and causality that govern physical reality. Large-scale generative video models like Sora and Genie are considered early forms of this.
• Decentralization and Globalization: The diversification of AI creators, including open-source models like Meta’s Llama 2, suggests that strong AI models will soon be tuned to non-Western languages and cultures, opening new avenues for global mission work.

What biblical or theological points of reference do Christians have for this tech?

The Bible provides a remarkable redemptive lens for approaching these developments:

• Redemptive Framework: Salvation is framed by the Apostle Paul’s vision, as emphasized by theologian N.T. Wright, as the renewal of God’s entire creation, calling believers to participate in God’s work of reconciliation and restoration. This means technology is not merely judged on efficiency, but on whether it aligns with God’s purposes for restoration and human flourishing.
• Stewardship: The pursuit of World Models, an attempt to teach a machine the underlying principles of God’s created order, connects to the God-given mandate for stewardship (Genesis 2:15).
• Humility and Warning: Innovation must be approached with humility, resisting the temptation of the Tower of Babel to build for one's own glory.
• Community and Love: The rise of AI companions demands caution. No matter how caring an AI seems, it lacks genuine empathy, consciousness, and moral agency. An AI can never replace the embodied human community that God intended when He declared, "It is not good for man to be alone" (Genesis 2:18).
• Truth and Justice: The church must champion truth against the risk of deepfakes and misinformation, echoing Proverbs 14:15. Furthermore, the need to advocate for ethical infrastructure that emphasizes transparency, fairness, and accountability reflects the biblical call to justice in Isaiah 1:17.

What are some additional resources and recommended reading?

The field is moving quickly, and ongoing research is vital. Recommended reading includes:

• Dedicated workshops on new World Model architectures at top conferences, such as ICLR 2025.
• Academic papers on advancements in AI world models found on platforms like ArXiv.
• Reports and analyses from leading research institutions on large language models and robotics.

Other missionally focused resources, such as the FaithTech AI Trend Report April 2025.

What problems might missions solve with this technology?

AI's newfound capabilities hold the promise to support ministry work like never before:

• Bridging Language Gaps: Improved language translation AI enables the real-time transcription and translation of sermons, directly serving the missionary calling to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19).
• On-the-Spot Assistance: Scaled-down models like Gemini Nano can run on smartphones for offline tasks, providing on-the-spot translation without needing connectivity, which benefits missionaries in remote areas.
• Resource Creation: Multimodal AI can generate illustrative images for sermon slides on the fly or narrate images in a church bulletin for visually impaired users.
• Complex Problem Solving: Hybrid reasoning models can quickly answer a straightforward Bible trivia question, then moments later, carefully work through a nuanced ethical dilemma.

How could missions and ministries use this technology?

The application of AI can be transformative across ministry functions:

• Pastoral and Spiritual Care Extension: AI companions can be a tool to extend pastoral care, not replacing human pastors but filling gaps. An AI with a compassionate, biblically informed demeanor could provide context-aware support, sharing relevant Scriptures and gently suggesting contact with a real counselor.
• Administrative Efficiency and Communication: An AI could see a church’s event flyer and help draft announcements or listen to a recorded prayer request and offer a summarized response for follow-up.
• Environmental Stewardship: A redemptive application of World Models could dramatically enhance our stewardship mandate. An AI that understands the physical world could help design more sustainable materials, predict the path of natural disasters with greater accuracy, or guide robots in performing delicate restorative tasks.
• Customized Domain-Specific Tools: Developers can fine-tune open-source models on custom data, such as a library of Bible commentaries, to create domain-specific AI systems for ministry at a relatively low cost.

What infrastructure is needed to leverage this technology?

Leveraging cutting-edge AI requires either accessing cloud-based platforms or utilizing open-source models:

• Cloud Infrastructure: Tech giants have integrated powerful AI models into their cloud platforms, allowing organizations to use powerful AI via an API without owning a supercomputer, thereby lowering the barrier to entry.
• Local Open-Source Systems: The open-source movement allows a church to run an AI locally to answer congregants’ questions using its own data, which ensures data privacy and provides greater cost control.
• Ethical Infrastructure: Beyond the technical systems, Christians must advocate for AI ethics guidelines emphasizing transparency, fairness, and accountability, reflecting the biblical call to justice in Isaiah 1:17.

What risks might this technology present for ministries?

The very speed of change raises significant ethical and theological questions:

• Deception and Misinformation: Multimodal AI creates the risk of deepfakes and misinformation. Ministries must champion truth and caution people not to take all media at face value.
• Privacy and Consent: Visual AI raises concerns about privacy; using AI to analyze congregational photos must be done transparently and with permission.
• Erosion of Human Connection: The reliance on an AI companion, which is simulating, not genuinely providing, empathy or consciousness, can stunt one’s pursuit of real, embodied human relationships.
• Misuse of Power: A model that can accurately simulate the physical world (World Model) could also be used to plan and execute destructive acts with terrifying efficiency.

What hurdles might ministries face in innovating with this new technology?

The hurdles involve balancing the technical potential with ethical and practical constraints:

• Ethical and Theological Alignment: Ministries must constantly ensure that the technology and its deployment align with God’s intent for human community and do not violate principles of privacy or truth.
• Resource and Expertise Constraints: While democratization is occurring, the deep expertise required to fine-tune and manage custom AI systems remains a hurdle.
• Balancing Speed and Thoroughness: Ministries must carefully fine-tune the balance of speed versus thoroughness in AI responses to align them with their community’s needs.

How might this technology affect people's faith?

The effect on faith is two-sided:

• Positive Reinforcement: Modern AI infrastructure could enable a new wave of systems for the Great Commission, just as the printing press once enabled the widespread distribution of Bibles.
• Spiritual Stagnation: Over-reliance on an AI friend, which offers a simulated relationship, risks replacing the need for the embodied community of the church. Furthermore, the capability to simulate reality compels us to clarify the uniqueness of human consciousness and our sacred relationship with the Creator who spoke the true world into being.

What are case studies where this tech is being used?

The integration of these models into daily life serves as an ongoing case study:

• Global Mission Tools: The deployment of the Gemini Nano model for offline use on smartphones demonstrates a direct application for missionaries in areas with limited internet access.
• Open-Source Innovation: The release of Meta’s Llama 2 sparked a wave of innovation in open-source AI, allowing developers to fine-tune models on custom data for ministry at a low cost.
• Public Utility: ChatGPT’s rapid adoption, reaching over 400 million weekly users, serves as a case study for AI’s quick embedding into daily life as a general-purpose utility.

How can we get started with this technology?

Ministry leaders and Christian technologists can begin the work of innovation through these steps:

• Engage with Cloud APIs: Organizations can begin using powerful AI models through cloud platforms, which requires no specialized hardware.
• Explore Open-Source Fine-Tuning: Ministries can explore open-source AI communities to fine-tune models on faith-based data, offering control and privacy.

Prioritize Ethical Infrastructure: Christians should advocate for AI ethics guidelines within their organizations and the broader tech community to ensure transparency and accountability, reflecting the biblical call to justice.