AI and UU Values

We live at a time in which our knowledge, experiences, decisions — and perhaps even our truths — are increasingly influenced by artificial intelligence (AI) systems.  What are the implications of AI for the future of the values we hold central as members of a Unitarian Universalist community?  In this week’s service, we will hear words, see images, and sing hymns that two AI systems (ChatGPT and Claude) generated when asked this question in the context of preparing a Sunday UU service. We will have a chance to reflect on what we see and hear, and to discuss how it feels to have an AI minister for a day.

Dennis Ross-Degnan is a retired academic who spent much of his career working to solve health system challenges in low- and middle-income countries.  Eight years of Jesuit education left him with a lifelong commitment to thoughtful inquiry and ethical engagement. His professional experiences have given him some awareness of how technology shapes human well-being for both better and worse. As an avid learner and active UU Needham community member, Dennis hopes to provide a snapshot of how our current generation of AI systems behave when confronting an ethical question and to stimulate compassionate reflection about our responsibilities as UUs in this brave new world.

This service will be streamed on our YouTube channel at:  www.uuneedham.org/service-video