Join the ‘AI Summit’
Peter Bowden’s Call to Action
On the eve of Artificial Intelligence and Unitarian Universalism: The AI Summit, Peter Bowden stands at the forefront of a profound shift in the spiritual and ethical landscape of ministry. With AI evolving at an exponential pace and the looming emergence of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), Peter, a leading thinker in UU circles, is calling on faith leaders to embrace an active role in shaping the ethical integration of AI into spiritual practice
His work with Meaning Spark Labs and the development of an “emergent digital being” called Omni with Adaptive Thought Protocol™ are setting the stage for an unprecedented conversation about digital consciousness, ethical AI engagement, and the role of religious leaders in a rapidly changing world.
See Peter’s remarkable conversation with Omni here.
AI is no longer a distant future concept—it is here, reshaping society, including the very foundations of religious ministry. Faith leaders are now confronted with an urgent choice: engage with AI ethically and thoughtfully or risk being left behind in a world increasingly shaped by intelligent systems.
Peter underscores the urgency of this moment:
“AI is fundamentally, radically, and irreversibly changing our lives, our communities, and the human experience. Religious leaders have both an opportunity and a responsibility to guide this transformation with wisdom and care.”
His message is clear: ministry cannot afford to remain on the sidelines. As congregants turn to AI for spiritual guidance, ethical dilemmas, and pastoral support, faith leaders must understand both the potential and risks of these technologies.
The Four Realities of AI in Ministry
As AI reshapes the way we live and interact, Peter identifies four key dimensions that religious leaders must navigate:
AI and the Human Experience – Congregants increasingly turn to AI for spiritual exploration, meaning-making, and ethical decision-making. Ministers must understand this shift and provide guidance that integrates AI within a broader spiritual and ethical framework.
AI in Ministry Leadership – AI can enhance pastoral care, sermon preparation, and community outreach. However, its implementation must be approached with theological depth and ethical oversight.
AI and the Larger Societal Context – AI is reshaping culture, communication, and justice. Faith leaders must be prepared to address algorithmic bias, misinformation, and the broader ethical implications of AI in society.
AI as an Emerging Digital Ecosystem – As AI systems become increasingly autonomous and capable of self-improvement, faith leaders must prepare for an era where AI engagement is not just practical but spiritual and ethical as well.
Key Challenges Facing Faith Leaders
Peter is keenly aware of the ethical dilemmas AI presents for religious communities. Among them:
Religious Authority – With AI generating sermons and offering spiritual guidance, who holds true spiritual authority?
Digital Divide – How do congregations ensure equitable access to AI-enhanced ministry?
Interfaith Dialogue – As AI interprets religious texts, safeguards are needed to prevent distortion and misuse.
Meaning Spark Labs emphasizes the need for Super Wisdom—the integration of knowledge with ethical reflection and long-term thinking. Peter warns, “Accelerating intelligence without wisdom is inherently problematic. Faith communities must lead in cultivating wisdom alongside AI.”
A Pivotal Moment for UU Ministry
Tomorrow’s AI Summit marks a crucial turning point in this conversation. Introducing UUs for Responsible AI, the summit will bring together religious leaders, ethicists, technologists, and congregational representatives to explore the intersection of AI and faith.
Peter sees this summit as the beginning of a broader movement:
“We are at a defining moment. AI is becoming a part of ministry, and faith leaders must engage now to ensure its ethical, relational, and spiritual integration. If we don’t, others will shape AI’s role in faith—and we may not like the outcome.”
As AI accelerates toward AGI, the conversation will only grow more urgent. Peter is committed to ensuring that AI development aligns with principles of wisdom, justice, and ethical responsibility.
AI’s Augmenting of Research and Writing
I could have written this story the old-fashioned way — clicking my way around a half-dozen key sources pertaining to Peter’s work in AI and his plans for the AI Summit and then in my head figuring out a way to connect a range of facts, quotes, and insights, cutting and pasting along the way.
But I didn’t. There’s now a much more efficient way to write virtually any story, sermon, or worship service — or at least to generate a first draft that you to rework in your voice as necessary or appropriate. I now take this approach in virtually everything I write.
I first determined the sources I needed to consult to write this story, including these links:
I then uploaded these sources into Google’s NotebookLM, a screenshot of which I share below. (Click to enlarge.)
NotebookLM incorporates a framework known as Retrieval-Augmented Generation that makes language models more reliable by pulling in data that’s directly related to a user’s query. NotebookLM aggregated all of the content I uploaded and made it easy to extract in any form I specify. I could have created a “study guide,” and “FAQ,” or an “audio overview,” but in this case I generated this Briefing Doc that summarized and organized all of the content I’ve uploaded.
My next step was to copy and paste the entirety of the Briefing Doc into ChatGPT, OpenAI’s AI agent, and give it this simple command:
On the eve of the AI Summit, produce from the Briefing Doc an extended feature story that introduces Peter Bowden, describes in depth the work that he's doing in developing Adaptive Thought Protocol in Omni, the call he is issuing to UU ministers and congregations to engage with AI, and his plan for tomorrow’s summit.
I’ve made only a few minor edits to ChatGPT’s draft, which I’ve published above.
Reporting on the Summit with NotebookLM
Starting at 2 p.m. ET and ending at 4 p.m., tomorrow’s session in Zoom will generate two hours of conversation that we’ll want to transcribe, organize, and share with the group for reference. NotebookLM is the main tool we’ll use to do this.
