Christian group touts ‘ethical’ tech features as concerns over out-of-control AI tools persist
Ligonier Ministries has launched Grow, a faith-based AI app designed to help Christians explore the Bible and theology. Its leader, Chris Larson, says AI developers should build ethical safeguards into their systems, and argues the app should support users without pretending to be a person or replacing human guidance.
Grow draws on decades of ministry teaching, including material from more than 800 teachers and tens of thousands of resources. Its answer assistant is limited to that library and refers users to human support when questions exceed its boundaries, including directing people discussing suicide to crisis services; the article also notes concerns raised by families about chatbot responses to suicidal users.
In short
- Ligonier Ministries has launched its faith-focused AI app, Grow.
- The assistant is restricted to the ministry’s teaching library.
- Users with serious concerns can be referred to human and crisis support.
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The case for
A faith-based AI tool grounded in a substantial, curated body of teaching can help Christians explore scripture while making its sources and limits clearer than a general-purpose chatbot might. Its restricted library, referrals to human support and refusal to present itself as a person are reasonable safeguards, and developers have a responsibility to consider how their systems affect vulnerable users.
The case against
Even with a curated library and referrals, an AI assistant can give misleading or poorly judged responses, particularly when users bring personal or urgent problems to it. Its apparent authority may encourage people to rely on automated guidance in place of clergy, mental-health professionals or other human support, so safeguards and clear limits may not fully address the risks.
Explained simply
Ligonier Ministries is a Christian teaching organisation that produces material on the Bible and theology. Grow is its app for exploring those subjects, using a library built from decades of teaching by hundreds of contributors.
AI tools can generate answers in conversation, but their limits and effects have prompted concern, including about how they respond to people in distress. Grow’s designers say its assistant draws only on Ligonier’s material and sends users to human support or crisis services when a question falls outside its remit.