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1. What is a Shepherd to do with AI?
   There are many books on AI and a growing number that make applications to faith and Christian living. But few give you the wide angle lens. If you are looking for a book that makes AI understandable and then goes on to apply it to everyone from marketplace leaders, nonprofit professionals, and ministry practitioners, this is where you should start. The bibliography in AI Shepherds and Electric Sheep has over 400 resources is worth the price of admission all on its own!The book starts defining this fast moving area of innovation. I like this description that the authors make early on, “One way of envisioning AI might be to think of it as a galaxy of applications, all of which make use of similar technology but at different levels of complexity. When you look up at the stars, everything looks much the same from a distance, but when you gaze at the heavens through a powerful telescope, you can see widely varying configurations of stars with very different dynamics.”Towards the end of the book, they describe the purpose of this project like this, “If this book is about anything, it is not about understanding ourselves as techno-humans, fused with the algorithms of machine learning; rather, it is about the need to understand technology as our ancestors understood their ploughs, looms, shovels, and pickaxes – as tools used to complete a job, not to take over our lives so that we become products divorced from family, friends, emotions, and our living history.”The authors, Sean O’Callaghan and Paul Hoffman, take the reader on a very broad tour of implications, and Biblical perspectives. They apply their thinking to different industries and sectors of society; giving special focus on educators, those involved in discipleship, and leaders in pastoral and nonprofit ministry. It’s a lot to take in, but, remember that I called it “a place to start.”Finally, they hit on one of the most important implications of AI in my perspective, “If AI is about anything, it is about decision-making. In fact, one of the attractions of AI to many constituencies is that AI can take the human out of the decision-making loop, thereby leaving room, theoretically, for a dispassionate, logical, and efficient outcome. So if we are asking the question “What is AI?,” we can say that it is both a supplement to and a replacement for human intelligence in the decision-making process, depending on the circumstances. This is an important consideration. For the first time in history, a nonhuman entity can make crucial decisions both with and for human beings.”You can’t help but leave this book with the weight of our next few steps forward more clearly understood. Now the question is, “How will we steward the use of AI for human flourishing?”

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2. Book Review Rating: 6/10
   Book Review Rating: 6/10This Book Is:- easy to read and understand- geared to those in ministry- a surface level intro to AI and Christianity with citations to dig deeper if desired- focused on providing principles for how to think about Christianity and AIThis Book Is Not:- geared for tech savvy people- focused on providing many conclusions for how to integrate AI and Christianity- limited to or focused just on generative AI and ChatGPTMy Takeaways:- Intelligence Doesn’t Define What It Means to be Human: What does it mean for humanity when machines become more intelligent than humans? If it is our intelligence that makes humans special, then AI is viewed more as a threat and a risk. In the Christian faith, God created humans in his image. It is the image of God that differentiates humanity from the rest of creation, not our level of intelligence. Artificial intelligence will never bare God’s image. Therefore, AI can never fully usurp what it means to be human because intelligence doesn’t define what it means to be human.- Technology Isn’t Neutral: Some have argued that technology is a neutral tool that can either be used for good or evil. This argument doesn’t acknowledge the way that technology forms us in a specific way regardless of the righteousness of our motivation or the goodness of the outcome. The authors view AI as an accelerator for the technological trends that we are already seeing with the use of smartphones and social media. The smartphone is not a neutral tool. The way the smartphone allows us to engage the world around us changes our attention span, what we value, and opens us up to be formed by the content that others create for us. AI is created by corporations motivated by profit.My Critiques:- The Way the Spirit Works: The authors claim that AI should not be used to generate whole sermons or worship services. While I agree with the overall claim, the reasoning provided focuses on the relationship between God and the preacher and not God and the audience. They claimed that a sermon is intended to be a word from God to his people. The preacher receives a word from God and communicates it to the people. Because AI doesn’t have a soul, it cannot receive this word from God. I think this ignores the way the Spirit works in those who hear the sermon. Regardless of the origin of the content, God can use it to communicate his gospel and his word to his people, even AI generated content. I think the impact is more on the preacher than the congregation.- Human Dignity Over Human Flourishing: The authors main thesis is that technology should be evaluated based on whether it advances or hinders human flourishing. My critique is that human flourishing is not the ultimate value or goal that Christians should use to measure the impact. Flourishing brings to mind success, prosperity, wealth, pleasure, and an easy life. Even at a minimum, it would entail a certain level of comfort and a lack of suffering.There are several problems with this approach. First, the definition of flourishing is going to look very different to different people. The partisan politics in America in recent years has highlighted the fact that many evangelicals have wildly different ideas for what flourishing looks like. AI could be used by someone in a way that they believe advances flourishing and another believes that the same thing hinders flourishing. Second, flourishing is not how Jesus would describe the Christian life. Sometimes we are called to suffer with Christ. Following Jesus has a cost. It is possible to reframe suffering as flourishing with the right perspective, but I don’t think that is what is being communicated in this book. There could be situations that lead to human flourishing at the expense of the people using it or consuming it.I think focusing on human dignity instead of human flourishing would be more appropriate. Human dignity is a clearer biblical value and there would likely be more of a consensus on what advances or hinders dignity. There could also be examples of using technology that would advance human flourishing at the cost of human dignity. In that case, I would choose dignity over flourishing.Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

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3. AI made understandable yet thought provoking
   Thorough research and analysis is clearly apparent in this book but that doesn’t begin to describe how fascinating a read it is ! I learned so much about AI. The authors posit compelling questions and really make the reader ponder the possibilities of AI in our future.Spoiler alert: it begins and ends with references to Maverick in Top Gun! Written with verve, this book is extremely insightful and thoughtful. It is relevant to all, including those who are not particularly religious.

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