Apologist and Oxford mathematician John Lennox warned Christians that artificial intelligence could contribute to a generation becoming increasingly disconnected from Scripture and cautioned that technology meant to serve humanity can become a “very dangerous master.”
In a conversation with fellow apologist Wes Huff at the 10th annual Sing! Conference, Lennox reflected on the rise of AI, the resulting decline of reading and how Christians can faithfully engage a culture searching for meaning.
Lennox said that while artificial intelligence has significant benefits, including applications in medicine and Bible translation, he is particularly concerned about the effect “large language models” are having on reading habits, particularly among young people.
“One of the negative effects of these large language models is the rapid decline in reading, particularly among young people,” Lennox said, adding that many young people today are asking why they should bother reading when AI can provide immediate answers.
“If we neglect reading and encouraging children and young people to read, that will leave them in a state of spiritual starvation,” Lennox warned. “If reading declines, reading Scripture will decline, and so Christians will not thrive.”
Scripture is the Christian’s primary “offensive weapon” in defending the faith, Lennox said, stressing that if believers “don't read and prayerfully meditate on it, then of course we are going to render the Christian Church totally defenseless.”
The discussion came as this year’s Sing! Conference, held Sept. 7-9 at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center, marked 500 years since William Tyndale’s English New Testament. The conference, led by hymn writers Keith and Kristyn Getty, centered on the theme “Symphony of Scripture.”
Referencing Tyndale and other figures who risked their lives to make Scripture accessible, Lennox said it would be a “tragedy” if Christians now neglected the Bible due to AI.
Huff drew a parallel between the Reformation-era fight to put Scripture directly into the hands of ordinary people and the possibility that AI could similarly become a “new intermediary” between people and the biblical text.
Though Christians today have unprecedented access to readable Bible translations, Huff said he worries that people are relying on AI summaries rather than meditating on Scripture.
“We're confusing the mechanisms of giving us information with actually meditating and reading and delving into Scripture,” Huff said.
Still, both apologists cautioned against viewing technology as either entirely good or entirely destructive.
Lennox said Christians should resist dividing themselves into “tech optimists and tech pessimists,” contending they must recognize both possibilities simultaneously.
“AI, like all other technology, is like a sharp knife,” he said. “You can use a sharp knife to perform a surgical operation and save a life, but you can use it for murder.”
One promising application, Lennox noted, is the use of AI by Bible translators working to bring Scripture into difficult and complex languages.
But technology that functions effectively as a tool can become “a very dangerous master,” he warned, adding that Christians with strong biblical foundations should be directly involved in AI research.
“We need, I believe, serious Christian believers actually involved in AI research, so that they can bring their biblical, ethical principles to bear,” he said.
Lennox also cautioned Christians against treating machines as though they possess human consciousness. AI, he emphasized, simulates aspects of human intelligence but doesn't possess the qualities unique to beings created in the image of God.
“AI is not made in the image of God,” Lennox said. “The danger of it is it's made in human images, created by humans who are flawed in their thinking.”
Huff similarly noted that young people are searching for “meaning and purpose and identity and hope and justice,” desires, he said, that find their ultimate grounding in the Christian worldview and Scripture.
Lennox said the questions he encounters from younger generations have noticeably shifted over the course of his career. While scientific objections to Christianity remain, he said existential questions have become increasingly prominent.
“Far more are the existential questions: Who am I, and what do I become, and where can I find a purpose, and also how can I find peace in the midst of all this?” he said. “Humans are special because they are the kind of creature and the only kind of creature that God could become. That gives us a dignity and a value above everything else.”
Asked by Huff how Christians can practically communicate that message in an increasingly skeptical and distracted culture, Lennox encouraged believers to begin by listening.
“I'd recommend what I've tried to do all my life, and that is to interact with people by asking questions and listening to them, finding out where they're coming from, where their real concerns are,” he said. “Be honest if you don't know the answers. Just say I don't know, but I'll look it up.”
“We need to think not simply about the future of AI and technology,” he added. “We need to think of the ultimate future and the central promise of the Christian faith that Jesus made that day to His disciples, that He was going to return.”
Referencing the Apostle Paul’s words to the Thessalonians about turning “to God from idols,” Lennox warned that modern idols could include AI systems allowed to “fill your life and control your mind.”
“The wonderful promise is that Jesus is coming again,” he said. “That is real hope. So, folks, let's not be ashamed of it.”
Following Lennox and Huff’s discussion, Keith and Kristyn Getty joined FamilyLife Today host Bob Lepine for a conversation reflecting on the first decade of Sing! and the future of the conference.
This year’s gathering marked the 10th anniversary of Sing!, which was originally envisioned as a five-year project. About 7,000 people were in attendance.
Keith Getty revealed that organizers now plan to continue the annual gathering through at least 2030, pointing to an increasing need for resources for the global Church.
“For certain, but I think there's such a strong argument right now to take it to 2030, and for so many different reasons,” Getty said. “And so we're going to extend this a little bit further.”
Getty also highlighted the emergence of a new generation of hymn writers and announced that next year’s conference will begin with a hymn writers symposium designed to help aspiring songwriters develop their craft.
“The international need … is huge,” he said, adding that many growing churches are increasingly receiving their theology of worship and songs through platforms such as YouTube.
“So those are the things that get me excited,” Getty said. “Those are the things that are really pumping me for the next couple of different things.”
