Compass Podcast: Finding the spirituality in the day-to-day · United Methodist Communications

[172] AI, ethics and the spiritual journey

·40 min·2 clips

Nathan warns against anthropomorphism and says AI companions are a marketing tactic, not real relationship.

Ryan Dunn frames the conversation around a simple but loaded question: whether AI helps or harms spiritual life. He speaks with Reverend Nathan Webb, founding pastor of Checkpoint Church, an all-digital expression of church built to connect with people who identify themselves as nerds, geeks, and gays. Webb has been on the show before, and he has also written a book called God and the Machine, due out soon. The conversation stays focused on how faith communities might use AI without giving up discernment. Dunn asks how the technology might help Christians love God and love their neighbors. Webb starts with access. He describes himself as a digital-first pastor and says he wants AI to support more accessible digital church experiences. One example is using AI to help draft alt text for images so screen readers can better serve people with impaired vision or other access needs. For him, that is not a gimmick. It is a way to remove barriers and make digital space feel more human. He says smart use of AI could deepen relationships instead of thinning them out. That matters to him because community is part of the ethical test. The episode also touches on small consumer-facing tools like an app called Text Jesus that offers responses in a Jesus-like tone. Webb treats that kind of tool as a reminder rather than a substitute for prayer or real conversation. He is interested in how technology can prompt a spiritual lens on ordinary situations. The discussion keeps coming back to guardrails, intention, and the responsibility to use tools well. It favors practical pastoral questions over abstract alarm. The result is a thoughtful, easy-to-follow conversation about what faith might ask of AI in daily life.

As heard by us

A calm, practical take on AI, accessibility, and digital faith.

Ryan Dunn's conversation with Reverend Nathan Webb keeps coming back to the ordinary ways AI slips into daily routines, then turns toward the harder question of how that changes spiritual practice and neighborly care.

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Why you'd press play

A calm faith conversation about AI, ethics, and making digital church more accessible.

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