Church of England academics and policy advisers are calling for a fresh nationwide dialogue on artificial intelligence (AI) and its growing influence on employment, cautioning that unregulated technological progress could widen inequality and erode human dignity.
The call follows a motion passed by the Church’s General Synod in February 2024, which acknowledged the far-reaching effects of AI and the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
The Synod asserted that work should remain purposeful and dignified — and that technology must be directed toward the common good rather than economic gain alone.
A new edition of Crucible journal, released this month, expands the discussion through a series of theological and practical reflections.
Contributors examine how automation, data monitoring, and algorithm-driven oversight are transforming today’s workplaces — from the growth of the gig economy to the complexities of remote work.
“Work is neither who we are, nor can it be dismissed as irrelevant to our identity,” wrote Becky Plummer, the Bishops of Lichfield and Newcastle’s Parliamentary Researcher. “Without meaningful work we risk losing a sense of purpose and belonging.”
The publication applies biblical values and Christian social thought to explore what just and humane labour ought to embody in an era shaped by intelligent technology.
Other contributors include Rev Dr Simon Cross, an expert in technology ethics, and Rev Dr Kathryn Pritchard, co-editor of the journal and co-director of Equipping Christian Leadership in an Age of Science.
Dr Cross examines the moral dilemmas of platform-based employment, calling for justice-driven approaches to the gig economy.
He said: “Technology is not value-neutral. The ways tools are invented, adopted and exploited are all shaped socially - and that includes the gig economy.
“If we want the gig economy to reflect the values of good and meaningful employment as the Bible helps us understand them, there is plenty of work still to do.”
Dr Pritchard’s article focuses on the impact of AI on women’s work, warning that exclusion from datasets could reinforce gender bias.
“If women’s contributions to work are absent from the datasets on which AI systems are built, those same technologies risk reproducing that invisibility,” she cautioned.
She continued: “Passivity in the face of such rapid technological change is not theologically justifiable. The future of women’s work in an AI age is not yet written.”
Co-editor Will Fremont-Brown said the issue demands thoughtful engagement from both church and society: “We must avoid the temptation towards unalloyed optimism about AI, or overlook ways in which we might harness AI to serve the common good. Our task is to shape a fairer course.”
Their message echoes growing global concern.
Just days after taking office, Pope Leo XIV referred to AI as “one of the defining issues of our time,” underscoring the threat it presents to human dignity, fairness, and work.
The editors hope the Crucible series will help churches, policymakers, and citizens alike to reflect and respond.
Dr Pritchard emphasised: “The way work and AI overlap is a subject of interest from kitchen tables to lecture halls. We cannot sit on the sidelines, but have a responsibility to engage, point to signs of hope, and do all we can to ensure that the fundamental dignity of every person is upheld.
“We hope this edition of Crucible will be interesting, informative and of practical use.”
