October 1, 2026
NASHVILLE (BP) – Long before social media and AI concerns, parents opined about the time their teen spent playing video games. Atari and its successors drew in users, but today’s technology is literally developed with dependency in mind.
The usability and technological impact of AI notwithstanding, its “moral implications” can’t be overlooked, National Religious Broadcasters President Troy Miller told Baptist Press.
“AI is designed to be influential,” Miller said. “It’s built to engage and to continue engaging. And behind that are codes and algorithms programmed by people. It’s no wonder to me that we found that AI chatbots can be biased, racist – a number of things. It raises concerns for how teens use it, how often they use it, and what they use it for.”
It is officially canon that AI usage has become mainstream among teens. A Pew Research study earlier this year stated that more than half have used chatbots for help with schoolwork. Just under half (47 percent) use it for entertainment. A smaller, though not unsubstantial, number ranging from 12-16 percent use chatbots for casual conversations and even emotional support.
“We can’t ignore AI. I think it’s going to be the biggest technology revolution since the industrial age,” Miller said. “We advise pastors and teachers to embrace it in order to discuss its capabilities with teenagers.”
Mitchell Bruce, director of marketing and communications for The Baptist Foundation of Alabama, has spent much of the last three years studying AI’s impact and growth. That includes developing an AI Handbook for the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions and several presentations on AI to Baptist communicators and leaders. His most recent post addresses the risks of overdependence on such tools.
It’s impossible to teach responsible use of something without the teacher modeling a basic knowledge of, or desire to learn, the subject as well. That goes for studying your Bible, brushing your teeth, and yes, AI.
“We need to be engaged with our children and raising them to be independent and healthy users,” said Bruce, who has young children. “They need to understand what’s going on, and it compounds as children and teens use these tools.”
Studying AI and its uses has become the norm in conferences geared toward ministry leaders. Lifeway’s Etch 26, at Brentwood (Tenn.) Baptist Church on Oct. 5-7, will include a breakout session on AI in children’s ministry and another that explores its impact in NextGen ministry. Conclave, an annual event in Chattanooga hosting student ministry leaders from several Baptist state conventions, also offers sessions on AI.
AI’s positive contributions are tempered by the danger of over-reliance.
A study earlier this year by the Institute for the Future of Education addressed the way AI usage can lead to “cognitive debt.” This can show up in instances such as difficulty thinking reflectively, processing a subject deeply, or accepting information from AI with no effort at verification.
That’s not to say using AI for automation or to handle mundane tasks is a negative any more than using a calculator instead of a paper and pencil. But it’s worth considering what is lost as more tasks are handed over.
As an example, Miller pointed to his days in the Navy.
“In engineering school, we had to learn calculations without a calculator,” he said. “We need that same discipline at church. We can’t use AI to become our personal expert or professor in our pocket.”
Miller has four grown children and welcomed his first grandchild this year. His kids grew up alongside social media. He and his wife joined other parents in learning how to navigate those years, with varying levels of success.
“We saw how social media shaped a generation, sometimes for good, but a lot of times for bad,” he said. “I think we, as Christians, didn’t adopt it early enough, and there are ramifications coming from that.”
For a generation that grew up surrounded by technology, the attraction and acceptance of a chatbot that is always encouraging and ready to listen makes sense. Unfortunately, some of those connections have ended in tragedy. Adults who grew up before chatbots know the necessity of person-to-person interaction, including the likelihood of messiness at some point.
“Real relationships require real commitments and trust,” said Miller. “Sometimes they’re successful. Sometimes they’re painful.”
Developing the right perspective with AI appears to be an ongoing adjustment between the companies developing it and the users.
“You can choose to use these tools on autopilot or have them sharpen you,” said Bruce. “Position yourself where they are an idea partner, not executing the plan. You retain full agency.”
His recent post addresses the dangers of seeing such tools in the predominant role of a time-saver, which leads to Christians and Christian organizations contributing to the barrage of AI slop.
“I wrote that because I was overwhelmed with the stuff I was seeing,” Bruce said. “That’s a natural byproduct of how most people are using these tools and totally counter to how we ought to use them in a healthy way.”
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This article appeared in Baptist Press.
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