A current truth is that the use of resources associated with artificial intelligence (AI) is growing and becoming more popular worldwide. What was once restricted to academic research and futuristic films has definitely become close to everyday life. According to Search Logistics, "the global market for AI technology is expected to explode in the coming years, reaching a total market value of $190.61 billion by 2025."[1] According to research released by Forbes Advisor, the most popular current uses of AI today include answering messages, queries on financial matters, planning travel itineraries, and making social media posts.[2]
However, other analyses of future trends broaden such a view. And they point to systems supported by the concept of AI as responsible for significant changes in various areas of human life, including health, education, income generation, and human and social development, among other aspects. In this context, religions are obviously part of the group impacted by chatbots, generative AI, and automation empowered by increasingly sophisticated processes.
Leaders from the Communication departments of the North American, Inter-American, and South American divisions of Seventh-day Adventists gathered for a few days to discuss AI and the Adventist mission of preaching the Gospel to the world. Lectures, debates, and panels, including presentations of Adventist initiatives, fostered thoughts about an inevitable path: AI is a reality from which one cannot escape; one must learn how to make it an ally.
Integrated and Collaborative Mission
This large gathering of more than 100 participants, known as the Global Adventist Internet Network (GAiN), has always been held to share thoughts about technology and communication and apply them to the mission of the church, which today has more than 21 million members in more than 200 countries. This year, the five-day meeting took place in the Washington D.C. area. And the starting point of the presentations dealt with the consolidation of fundamental concepts for Adventists: their identity and objective of presenting the biblical Gospel to different realities.
Pastor Williams Costa Jr., director of Communications for the General Conference, introduced the event with a strong message: Adventist communicators need to be individually aware of their role in the mission. He used as an example the meritorious work done by a group of people in Paraguay, who make it possible to teach music in needy communities. To do this, they use discarded products from large garbage dumps that are turned into musical instruments and thus offer a different perspective to children, teenagers, and young people. "Just as the leader of this group felt called to a mission, we need to understand that, too," he commented.
Still talking about missionary foundations of communication, Pastor Samuel Neves, associate director of GC Communication, led a panel on integration, collaboration, and synergy of different technological and communication platforms of the organization itself (internet portals, TV stations, radio stations, publishing houses) to reach common goals. Neves was emphatic in stating that Adventist communications strategy involves effectively sharing biblical concepts with non-Adventists while at the same time maintaining a digital service for those who become members and need to grow and develop spiritually.
Intelligence for Evangelism
The solid biblical foundations that guide the message preached by the Seventh-day Adventist Church can be enhanced with the use of AI. This is what Emmanuel Arriaga, a professional who works at Google, suggested. He understands artificial intelligence is useful in the context of the Adventist Church, as well as in the preparation of proposals, documents, and research. He reminded participants, however, that the development of platforms and models involves discussions of an ethical nature and the reliability of the data presented.
Erick Sperandio Nascimento, professor and researcher at an English university, pointed out that AI tools are opportunities to establish unprecedented models of content creation for evangelism. He cited the importance, for example, of using tools for theological counseling and Bible study solutions. "It is possible to structure systems in order to provide personalized studies based on people's preferences," detailed Nascimento.
Applied Intelligence
The Seventh-day Adventist Church already has practical applications for the use of artificial intelligence. An example of this, coming from South America, is the chatbot (or virtual Bible assistant) called “Hope,” built and managed six years ago. The system provides the experience of people receiving, in Portuguese and Spanish, realtime support for their studies. This generative artificial intelligence has a database of almost 6,000 web articles officially produced by the church, as well as 89 Sabbath School lesson guides and 63 books by Ellen White.
Pastor William Timm, coordinator of the Digital Bible School for the Novo Tempo Network, explained that the work helped 278,422 students between the years 2019 and 2023, and this year alone, there are more than 40,000 people having contact with the Word of God and being helped by the intelligent system. "It is possible, in a practical way, to work humanization and automation; that is, we are able to connect technology in a way that is useful for people's spiritual development," Timm pointed out. Between 2019 and 2023, 1,905 decisions for baptism were registered; the candidates studied with support from Hope. The names of these people were sent to local congregations to be attended by pastors and members.
Natanael Castro, an AI engineer for digital evangelism, specified that Bible students can ask their open questions to the system through www.novotempo.com/perguntaresperanca; they are answered through a generative artificial intelligence that was recently implemented at Esperança.
Castro also added, "In addition, our biblical counselors also have AI capabilities that, based on previous services, help them support the people who come to us, optimizing their time and allowing them to serve more and more people every day.” The expert also pointed out that the process of improving the use of generative AI for mission purposes is growing. In a next step, the idea is to add more than 2,000 hours of TV programs produced by the Novo Tempo Communication Network in order to make the service even more robust.
On a worldwide level, Daniel Bogdanov, webmaster for GC Communication, explained that there are intentions and studies by the Seventh-day Adventist Church with the purpose of structuring AI models to offer biblical content in several languages.
Perceptions
For Pastor Jorge Rampogna, director of the Communication Department for the South American Division, "Events like this make us reflect on the need to use every possible opportunity to share the Gospel and accelerate mission."
Abel Marques, director of the Communication Department for the Inter-American Division, stated, "GAiN is an event that fosters interaction and creativity that keeps us updated with ideals and tools for digital evangelism."
Christelle Agboka, news writer and producer for the North American Division, spoke of her impressions about the event, the first of this nature in which she participated. In her assessment, used correctly, technological advances such as AI can make the work even more effective. "As communicators, we have a lot of power to shape the brand of the church, reach people inside and outside the church, and help make disciples," she stressed.
Journalist Betina Pinto, Communication director for the South Brazilian Union, also attended for the first time. In her evaluation, "When we get in touch with initiatives that are working well in other regions of the world, we can adapt them to our reality. With this, the church grows, and the Gospel advances with the support of communication strategies that have already been tested and validated.”
Producer Jonathan Lopez, from the Puerto Rican Union, said his experience at GAiN was enriching and inspiring. "The networking that can be done in events like this is unique and gives us the opportunity to collaborate with other countries to fulfill the mission on the digital frontier."
[1] https://www.searchlogistics.com/learn/statistics/
The original version of this story was posted on the South America Division Portuguese-language news site.