Algorithms vs Souls: The Use of AI in Global Missions
ID The Future listeners now get to enjoy two episodes each month from our sister podcast Mind Matters News, a production of the Discovery Institute’s Walter Bradley Center for Natural and Artificial Intelligence. The Mind Matters News podcast brings you insight from computer scientists, engineers, inventors, neurosurgeons, and other experts who bring sanity to the conversation about natural and artificial intelligence, going beyond the hype to explore the undercurrents of these important ideas. And although the Mind Matters News podcast will not often explicitly discuss intelligent design, it regularly explores the nature of intelligence, the origin of information, and the things that make us uniquely human, all concepts that are central to the theory of intelligent design. Enjoy today’s offering of Mind Matters News!
AI is having impact everywhere. But what about global outreach initiatives? And specifically Christian missions? How are those in the mission field using artificial intelligence? On this episode of Mind Matters News, host Robert J. Marks and co-host Jonathan Swindell welcome Dr. Don Barger to the show. Barger is the Director of Innovation and Artificial Intelligence at the International Mission Board. Don works with new technology, especially AI, and helps people use it in smart and responsible ways. He thinks a lot about how AI can help in real-life situations, especially in global missions. He also understands the limits of AI and what it cannot do. In this conversation, we’ll discuss how AI is changing the world, how AI should be used responsibly in global outreach initiatives to other cultures and peoples, and what it all means for the future.
Dr. Barger explores the concept of orality, explaining that many global communities process information through observation and storytelling rather than written text. Oral cultures use community knowledge to preserve stories with high accuracy, a process Barger compares to blockchain technology. He then addresses the challenge of providing bible translation in the thousands of languages that still don’t have it, and how AI might help to accelerate and supplement this work.
Barger argues that while AI can handle administrative tasks and research, the work of soul care—including counseling, prayer, and sermon writing—must remain a human-led endeavor to ensure authentic spiritual connection.
Dig Deeper
- Enjoy more episodes of our sister podcast Mind Matters News at mindmatters.ai.
- Learn more about Dr. Barger’s work at the International Mission Board website.