Myk Habets is Senior Lecturer in Theology and Head of the School of Theology at Laidlaw College, as well as an Associate Pastor at Albany Baptist Church in Auckland.
In this new monthly column Myk looks at topics at the forefront of New Zealander’s minds, by examining the top internet searches and news results in New Zealand, helping us address these contemporary social, economic, and political issues through a theological lens for the common good - this is Public Theology.
In the last seven days “AI” was in the top 10 Google Trends in New Zealand.
AI: A Tool of the Anti-Christ… or a Tool for the Kingdom?
There is a rising unease around AI (Artificial Intelligence). For some, it feels like the stuff of dystopian fiction—Skynet is coming—we are told. For others, it is simply a passing technological fad. But neither response will do. AI is not going away. It is here, it is growing rapidly, and it will continue to get better. The question for Christians is not whether AI should exist, but how we will respond to it (2 Timothy 1:7).
Across the world, educational institutions are scrambling. Teachers and universities are developing detection tools to identify AI-generated student work, creating policies to limit its use, and punishing those who rely on it. This defensive posture is understandable—but, I would suggest, ultimately misguided. You cannot contain something so powerful by pretending it doesn’t belong.
In contrast, some leading institutions have taken a different approach. Universities like Oxford have begun integrating AI into their learning frameworks, even providing in-house tools and encouraging responsible use. This is a wiser path: not denial, but discernment; not fear, but formation. The key issue is not that AI is used, but how it is used (Romans 12:2).
And what of the Church? Recent surveys suggest that some preachers are already using AI to assist in preparing sermons. That may sound alarming at first. Yet, if we are honest, many sermons lack depth, clarity, or engagement. If AI helps some preachers organise their thoughts, sharpen their structure, or access better resources, that may not be entirely a bad thing. Of course, no machine can replace the Spirit-led insight, pastoral wisdom, and lived faith that preaching requires (Colossians 2:8). But a tool is still a tool.
The same is true in education. Teachers who refuse to use AI for lesson planning, drafting feedback, or administrative tasks may be unnecessarily exhausting themselves. AI is, quite simply, that good. In many fields, it is quickly becoming indispensable.
So, what about the average Christian? Should you care about AI? I think you should. As followers of Christ, we are called to care about all things—albeit with different levels of importance. AI is not of ultimate importance, but it is significant. It is shaping the world in which we live and minister.
Perhaps we need to reframe our thinking. What if, instead of viewing AI as a threat, we saw it as a God-given tool—emerging from human creativity, which itself is a gift from God? Like any tool, it can be used for good or ill. The moral weight lies not in the technology, but in the human heart. And, further, why don’t Christians get a head start on AI and really use it for Gospel ends? We did that with books, for example, and look how well that turned out!
Consider the opportunities. Bible study has, in some ways, been democratised. What once required expensive software and specialised training can now be accessed freely or cheaply through AI tools. Sure, we still need the experts to keep us on track. Churches can ask AI to identify funding opportunities for community ministries and even have it draft grant applications (Jeremiah 29:7). How good is that! Evangelism strategies can be explored by analysing local demographics and needs (1 Chronicles 12:32). These are not replacements for faithful ministry, but powerful aids to it.
Of course, there are boundaries. AI must be used ethically. It must not replace human thought, creativity, or responsibility (1 Thessalonians 5:21-22). And we must not outsource our wisdom or discernment to algorithms (Proverbs 3:5-6). The Holy Spirit is still the true counsellor—AI is not and never will be (John 14:26).
In the end, AI is not the great threat. Humans have always been the perennial danger (Romans 3:23). Our misuse of tools—not the tools themselves—is what causes harm.
So why not experiment? Why not explore how AI might serve the Gospel rather than threaten it (Ephesians 5:15-16)? With wisdom, humility, and ethical care, this could be one of the most significant tools the Church has been given in our generation, and if we get in quick, we could beat the system at its own game. [Written with a little help from AI.]
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