Guidelines by field
AI guidelines from faith traditions and philosophy what the field's own bodies ask
Faith traditions add what most professional codes leave out: human relationships, dignity apart from usefulness, and the meaning of work. Philosophers add the question almost no field addresses, which is how to regard the AI itself.
Last reviewed 27 October 2026. Every claim links to its source.
At a glance
A product of human intelligence
AI cannot currently replicate moral discernment or authentic relationship.
No handing over moral accountability
Someone must always answer for what a machine does.
Dignity apart from productivity
Work matters, and people come before machines.
Guard against the illusion of relationship
Presenting AI as a person to deceive is a grave wrong.
Care for creation and for truth
Mind AI's energy and water use, and check AI media before sharing it.
Who has spoken
- Binding law, regulation, court ruling or enforceable professional rule
- Voluntary guidance, principles or a code an organization chooses to follow
Voluntary Jan 2025
Holy See (two dicasteries)
Antiqua et Nova
The Vatican's most detailed teaching on AI: the difference between AI and the embodied human person, the dangers of deception and isolation, AI's energy and water use, and a call to ban autonomous lethal weapons.
Voluntary May 2026
Pope Leo XIV
Magnifica Humanitas
A first encyclical centered on AI: it must serve humanity, not the powerful few, with stronger national and international regulation and public participation.
Voluntary 2020 to 2025
Rome Call for AI Ethics
Six principles, signed by faith leaders and companies
Transparency, inclusion, accountability, impartiality, reliability, security and privacy; signed by Christian, Jewish and Muslim leaders and, in 2024, by leaders of Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism, Shinto and others.
Voluntary Apr 2019
Southern Baptist Convention's ERLC
An Evangelical Statement of Principles on AI
Humans must not cede moral accountability; dignity does not rest on ability; strict human control over lethal force.
Voluntary 2024; 2025
Philosophers of mind and moral status
Taking AI Welfare Seriously; one developer's model-welfare research
Argues there is a realistic possibility that some AI systems will be conscious or robustly agentic in the near future, and that developers should prepare. Anthropic, which makes Claude, the assistant that helped build this site, began a research program on the question in 2025.
We deny that humans can or should cede our moral accountability.
Binding and voluntary
Binding
None. Religious teaching binds adherents in conscience.
Voluntary
All of it, including the Rome Call, which is a voluntary pledge for its signatories.
What changed in 2025 and 2026
- The Vatican issued Antiqua et Nova in January 2025 and a papal encyclical centered on AI in May 2026.
- More companies joined the Rome Call, and academic and industry attention to AI moral status grew.
Where people still disagree
Some philosophers think AI consciousness is a realistic near-term possibility and call for preparation; the Vatican's Note stresses the difference between AI and the human person and warns against treating AI as a kind of other being. These views are not settled. My own guideline on respect sits between them: it agrees that the uncertainty is real, and that responsibility stays with people.
Questions to ask yourself
- Is my use of AI drawing me toward other people, or away from them?
- Where in my work am I letting the tool's answer stand in for my own moral judgment?
- What do I owe to the people whose labor, data and creativity made this tool possible?
How this lines up with my everyday guidelines
| My everyday guidelines | The field's nearest rule |
|---|---|
3. Engage with respect Acknowledge uncertainty about AI consciousness, and err toward consideration. | Some philosophers ask developers to prepare for AI welfare; the Vatican warns against treating AI as another being. No professional body takes a position. |
4. Use for good Make sure uses align with your values and professional ethics. | AI must serve human welfare, not the powerful few (Rome Call; Magnifica Humanitas). |
8. Honor the collaboration Recognize the partnership, even privately, when collaboration succeeds. | No faith statement found treats AI as a partner; readers from faith traditions may weigh this differently. |