Will AI ever become spiritual? A Hospital Chaplaincy perspective

ABSTRACT

With humanity’s ever-increasing reliance on, and closer integration with Artificial Intelligence (AI), the questions of AI’s agency as both potential spiritual-being and spiritual care-giver are pressing. This paper reviews these from an acute Hospital Chaplaincy perspective, utilising that sector’s broad definitions of spirituality, and case studies. The structure is provided by two broad questions: ‘Does AI need chaplaincy?’ and ‘Could AI provide chaplaincy?’ Focusing on Boden’s (2018) definition of AI as being humans and computers in symbiosis, this article argues that Chaplaincy may be deeply necessary for the human components of AI, especially with the lax ethical landscape around AI development and usage. Further, recognising that AI already provides quasi-Chaplaincy through apps, this article raises concerns around whether it can provide the same level of care as a human Chaplain, especially around questions of embodiment, free-will, veracity, professionalism, charity, and humanity. Although this paper has a specific focus on Hospital Chaplaincy and its arguments sit within those parameters (which the author recognises is more person-centred and limited than broader parish-based pastoral care), there are important implications for all in public ministry, whatever their setting.

KEYWORDS:

• AI
• computing
• spirituality
• ethics
• chaplaincy
• spiritual care

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Elizabeth Brown

Rev’d Elizabeth Brown is a Church of England priest, licensed in the Diocese of Newcastle upon Tyne, currently working as a full-time Healthcare Chaplain in an acute NHS Trust which, unusually, also includes her serving in a mental health unit for older people. She is a member of the Chaplain’s trade union (CHCC) and a registrant of the UK Board of Healthcare Chaplains, having gained the PGCert in Healthcare Chaplaincy at University of Glasgow in 2019/20. She continued her studies 2020–2022 to receive an MA in Theology and Ministry with merit from St John’s College, Durham. She is also an experienced Retreat Leader, in the spheres of crafting and marriage preparation. Elizabeth is married to Nigel, an NHS Consultant Clinical Scientist. Email: [email protected]