Mormonism, AI, and Social Media

Last week The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints released ‘Guiding Principles for the Church of Jesus Christ’s Use of Artificial Intelligence’.

It’s a thoughtful statement that proposes the following principles:

Spiritual Connection

• The Church will use artificial intelligence to support and not supplant connection between God and His children.

• The Church will use artificial intelligence in positive, helpful, and uplifting ways that maintain the honesty, integrity, ethics, values, and standards of the Church.

Transparency

• People interacting with the Church will understand when they are interfacing with artificial intelligence.

• The Church will provide attribution for content created with artificial intelligence when the authenticity, accuracy, or authorship of the content could be misunderstood or misleading.

Privacy and Security

• The Church’s use of artificial intelligence will safeguard sacred and personal information.

Accountability

• The Church will use artificial intelligence in a manner consistent with the policies of the Church and all applicable laws.

• The Church will be measured and deliberate in its use of artificial intelligence by regularly testing and reviewing outputs to help ensure accuracy, truthfulness, and compliance.

I look forward to seeing other religious traditions think through the new opportunities and challenges of AI and am surprised at how little I’ve seen so far!

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints also has some of the best social teaching I’ve seen from any religious institution on personal social media use in General Handbook: Serving in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:

38.8.20.3

Personal Internet and Social Media Use

The internet and social media have many positive uses. Among these are opportunities to share testimonies of the Savior and His restored gospel. Blogs, social media, and other internet technologies allow members to promote the messages of peace, hope, and joy that accompany faith in Christ.

Members are encouraged to share uplifting content. They should also exemplify civility in all online interactions, including social media. They should avoid contention (see 3 Nephi 11:29–30; Doctrine and Covenants 136:23).

Members should avoid all statements of prejudice toward others (see 38.6.14). They strive to be Christlike to others at all times, including online, and reflect a sincere respect for all of God’s children.

Members should not use threatening, bullying, degrading, violent, or otherwise abusive language or images online. If online threats of illegal acts occur, law enforcement should be contacted immediately.

Members should not imply that their messages represent or are sponsored by the Church.

Mormons have long played an outsized role as writers in the science fiction and fantasy genres (‘“Is It Something in the Water?” Why Mormons Write Science Fiction and Fantasy’) but I’ve only just now realized that their church is on the leading edge of social teaching about emerging technologies!