They are doing it in two countries.
Oppressive governments like China and Iran are increasingly using artificial intelligence technologies, such as facial recognition, to monitor and suppress Christians at an unprecedented level, according to Stephen Schneck, chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. He expressed concerns that these advancements create new avenues for religious repression globally. In an interview with Premier News, Schneck highlighted how these technologies enable the Chinese Communist Party to surveil religious gatherings, thereby allowing them to target individuals in ways previously impossible. He described the situation as “Orwellian” and urged for proactive measures within faith communities to address this growing threat.
Schneck made these remarks in anticipation of the International Ministerial Conference on Freedom of Religion or Belief, which will explore how authoritarian regimes utilize AI to monitor and control religious groups, particularly Christians. He noted that persecution is on the rise globally, driven largely by increasing authoritarianism and a decline in democratic norms. According to Schneck, authoritarian governments resist any form of truth or authority that exists outside the state, making religion a fundamental challenge to their power.
The conference is timely as reports of religious persecution continue to surge. Open Doors, an organization that tracks such abuses, found that over 365 million individuals, or one in seven Christians, faced persecution in 2023. Arthur Herman from the Hudson Institute recently pointed out that China’s aggressive AI development is part of a strategy to impose a totalitarian model, supplanting Western values with those endorsed by the Chinese Communist Party. He noted that the Chinese government has integrated AI into its military and social systems to monitor groups like the Uyghurs, who face severe human rights violations.
Herman warned that China aims to establish itself as a global AI superpower by 2030, posing a significant challenge to democracies like the U.S. He asserted that the use of AI for human rights abuses serves as a prototype for social control that could be adopted by other authoritarian regimes. He emphasized the need for the U.S. to formulate a comprehensive AI strategy that not only counters China’s advancements but also promotes American leadership in the field.
The ethical implications of AI technology have prompted religious leaders to reflect on the potential dangers it poses. George Barna, an expert in church and worldview trends, cautioned that AI could negatively affect the Church and advised leaders to be cautious about integrating it into their practices. Additionally, the Southern Baptist Convention and the World Evangelical Alliance have raised alarms about AI’s effects on human identity and free will. A recent resolution from the SBC called for Christians to engage proactively with emerging technologies, emphasizing the importance of utilizing them with wisdom and discernment to uphold the inherent value of humanity as part of God’s creation.