News

We are seeing a systematic pattern of religious omissions. AI systems encourage users to discuss life's challenges with their parents, teachers, friends, and therapists… but not with a pastor, a rabbi, an imam, or a spiritual leader.

Why might people look to the church before looking to the technologists developing AI to answer questions about how to use it? 

“The simple answer, probably, is that the knowledge and the understanding and the experience and expertise that you need to develop AI systems is just not the same as the knowledge and the understanding and the experience that you need to reflect ethically on them [and] to address the questions these systems raise,” explained Dr. Neil Messer, a professor of theological bioethics at Baylor. 

The new Center for Ethics at Baylor University in the College of Arts & Sciences will bring together people and resources to coordinate and expand the initiatives on campus that explicitly engage ethical issues.

Several faculty in and supporting Environmental Humanities just spoke at the UN Habitat World Urban Forum 12 (Nov. 4-8) in Cairo, Egypt.  Dr. Stephanie Boddie (Social Work, Environmental Humanities faculty affiliate) and Dr. Joshua King (English, Environmental Humanities Director) shared about their work with the Sustainable Community and Regenerative Agriculture (SCRAP) Collective, and Dr. Paul Martens (Religion, Director of Baylor's Ethics Initiative and Interdisciplinary Programs) organized an interdisciplinary panel focused on interfaith human dignity.

Three of the Baylor Ethics Initiative faculty (Dr. Devan Stahl, Dr. Neil Messer, and Dr. Paul Martens) participated in the AI and Human Dignity: Faith, Freedom, Fairness, and Flourishing workshop.