With the increasing use and availability of artificial intelligence — like Chat GPT, Copilot and Gemini — Church leaders are evaluating how to best use AI as a tool in support of the ongoing Restoration, Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve said Wednesday, March 13.
“Throughout the ongoing Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ, emergent technologies — including in construction, communication and transportation — have allowed this great work to reach out and touch every nation, kindred, tongue and people,” Elder Gong said as he began a presentation to thousands of Church employees around the world.
Elder Gong and Elder John C. Pingree Jr., a General Authority Seventy, addressed employees of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from the Church Office Building. Elder Gong serves as co-chair of the Church Communication Committee. Elder Pingree serves as executive director of the Correlation Department.
In April 2018 general conference, President Russell M. Nelson taught that individuals’ spiritual survival depends on the ability to follow the Holy Ghost’s promptings.
“In coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting and constant influence of the Holy Ghost,” he said.
Elder Gong invited Church employees to consider the appropriate use of AI prayerfully and with the guidance of the Holy Ghost. He said, “we can be realistic both of opportunity and challenge,” that is, “neither giddy nor alarmist.” Elder Gong said, “We have a significant responsibility to ensure the Holy Ghost can attest to the truth and authenticity of all we say and share both in our form and in our content.”
Many departments in the Church are using and exploring the use of AI to help members in different ways, including family history work, language translation, process automation and other support.
As part of the presentation, Elder Gong and Elder Pingree shared seven principles in four categories to help guide the Church’s use of AI. Elder Pingree said the principles were approved by the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
“The moral and ethical considerations that come with the use of AI require spiritual discernment and wisdom,” Elder Pingree said. “God is the source of all truth. AI does not replace divinely appointed sources.”
Spiritual connection
- The Church will use artificial intelligence to support and not supplant connection between God and His children.
- The Church will use artificial intelligence in positive, helpful and uplifting ways that maintain the honesty, integrity, ethics, values and standards of the Church.
Transparency
- People interacting with the Church will understand when they are interfacing with artificial intelligence.
- The Church will provide attribution for content created with artificial intelligence when the authenticity, accuracy or authorship of the content could be misunderstood or misleading.
Privacy and security
- The Church’s use of artificial intelligence will safeguard sacred and personal information.
Accountability
- The Church will use artificial intelligence in a manner consistent with the policies of the Church and all applicable laws.
- The Church will be measured and deliberate in its use of artificial intelligence by regularly testing and reviewing outputs to help ensure accuracy, truthfulness and compliance.
“These principles may also be helpful for members and friends of the Church as they navigate a world changing due to AI,” Elder Pingree said.
Elder Gong also said that learning to identify the influence of the Holy Ghost will help members of the Church avoid deception if deepfakes of Church leaders are published. He encouraged reliance on the Holy Spirit, wisdom and trusted sources whenever using AI.
“While generative artificial intelligence may be quick to offer information, it can never replace revelation or generate truth from God. If something does not feel right or is inconsistent with what you know is true, seek to discern before believing,” he said.
Elder Gong said wisdom helps individuals to use a combination of knowledge, experience and judgment in making decisions. He quoted from 2 Nephi 28:30 where the Lord says through Nephi, “Blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom.”
Finally, Elder Gong reinforced the need to seek and study information from trusted sources. He again cited the Holy Ghost as one of those sources and added the scriptures, words of prophets, and the Church website — ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
In cases when individuals publish content that is deceitful in nature, the Church will address that content through its official channels.
“We are going to need not be fearful,” Elder Gong said in his concluding remarks. “But embrace the possibilities in a careful way… because the intent, I believe, is for us to take our soul — which is composed of a physical body and a spirit — and bring body and spirit, the physicality with the spiritual, together in new ways that can be a blessing to all of us as children of our Father in Heaven.”
