As the global conversation on artificial intelligence reached a pivotal moment — marked by Pope Leo XIV’s release of his AI-focused encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, in Rome — faith leaders gathered at the Athens Summit on AI Ethics to move discussions from principle to practice. 

Building on the momentum of a prior Rome summit, participants reaffirmed a multifaith Joint Statement on AI Ethics centered on five guiding principles: accuracy, transparency, privacy, security and human dignity/common good. 

“Last fall, our Joint Statement on AI Ethics gave us a shared moral vocabulary for the AI age,” said Walter Kim, president of the National Association of Evangelicals, who participated in the Athens Summit. “Now, as we gather again, we reaffirm that AI must be ethical and that people of faith must make it so. We are thrilled our coalition is growing; we are confident our new voices will make our work more durable and impactful.” 

A key outcome of the summit was the launch of Moral Compass, an initiative to advance faith-based engagement in AI ethics through three pillars: convene, train and measure — bringing together religious and technical communities, equipping leaders to understand AI’s societal and spiritual impacts, and developing tools to assess AI systems’ alignment with ethical and religious values.  

Participants emphasized that the future of AI is fundamentally a moral issue and called on faith communities to play an active role in shaping how these technologies are developed and deployed. The gathering concluded with a shared vision of a pro-human AI future aimed at advancing human flourishing, including goals like improving education and curing disease.  

At the National Association of Evangelicals, we are encouraged by the growing global and multifaith collaboration reflected at the Athens Summit. We remain committed to fostering thoughtful engagement that equips communities to navigate emerging technologies with wisdom and responsibility. We are also grateful for the opportunity to represent evangelicals in this collective effort to ensure AI development remains ethical, accountable and centered on human well-being. 

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