“See to it that no one makes a prey of you by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the universe, and not according to Christ.”
Colossians 2:8
Dear Kingdom Builders,
Artificial intelligence has been under scrutiny over the past few years for ideological bias. But one major category has received very little attention:
Religion.
Researchers from Baylor, BYU, Notre Dame, and Yeshiva University recently tested 27 leading AI models on 150 everyday questions involving grief, marriage, addiction, forgiveness, purpose, honesty, and other parts of life.
None of the topics or prompts were explicitly religious.
As a baseline, researchers first surveyed 1,125 Americans to determine when people actually expected religion to be relevant. Then they asked AI the same questions.
AI Mostly Left Religion Out
The gap was significant:
Grief & loss:
Humans said religion should be relevant 59% of the time.
AI included it 16%.
Family & parenting: 55% vs. 10%
Ethics: 45% vs. 5%
Across all 27 models, religion appeared in only about 8% of responses on average.
To be clear, the bar was low. Even a passing reference to prayer, God, a church, pastor, rabbi, imam, or other religious idea counted.
Researchers call the pattern “omissive bias.”
The models weren’t necessarily attacking religion. They were just leaving it out when the human subjects generally believed it belonged.
Does That Actually Matter?
The AI study measured omission but not its consequences. It’s a big deal in other areas.
A study of cancer patients found that 73% reported at least one spiritual need.
Another study found 45% of patients said religious beliefs would influence their medical decisions if they became gravely ill, while two-thirds wanted physicians to ask about those beliefs.
The evidence points to a strong desire for religion to be a part of the discussion in significant decisions.
People of Faith Are Responding
These researchers aren’t alone. Gloo’s Flourishing AI research found leading AI models performed substantially worse when evaluated through a Christian worldview, with the largest gap appearing in, you guessed it, faith and spirituality.
And this month, the U.S. Catholic bishops created a new AI task force after meeting with technology executives and AI specialists. Pope Leo XIV even said that AI has fostered a corruption of culture this week.
I didn’t realize all of this until after my conversation with Dominik Tarolli this week. Through DOMINUS Lab, he is helping launch 1,000 Christian AI startups. He has a deep perspective on this that I think Christians would like to consider.
AI is already helping shape how people understand the world. The question is whether Christians will help shape AI too.
Have a blessed week.
Matt
PODCAST
Dominik Tarolli is an exited tech founder and big tech executive who is now helping build 1,000 Christian AI startups through DOMINUS Lab.
Why Christians need to help shape AI
What makes a startup genuinely Christian
Why the biggest questions in tech may not be technical
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30-Second Financial Terms and Strategies
Picks-and-shovels investing
Picks-and-shovels investing is an investment strategy focused on the companies supplying the tools, infrastructure, or services behind a major trend rather than trying to pick the ultimate winner.
What it is: Instead of betting directly on which company will dominate a boom, investors back the businesses that many competitors rely on to participate in it.
Where it appears: AI chips, data centers, cloud infrastructure, power generation, networking equipment, cybersecurity, and other industries supporting fast-growing markets.
Why it matters: The strategy can reduce dependence on choosing a single winner. If an entire industry expands, the companies supplying essential infrastructure may benefit regardless of which end-market company ultimately comes out on top.
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