By Marianna Richardson
In his address on November 6, 2025 at the Organized Intelligence Conference in Salt Lake City, Elder Gong, an apostle for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, weaved together theology, cautionary tales, and modern realities to highlight both the opportunities and risks of AI. He reminded listeners that while technology can bless humanity, it must never replace divine inspiration, moral agency, or covenant belonging in Jesus Christ.
Theological Reflections on Intelligence
Elder Gong used scripture to distinguish divine and human intelligence from artificial intelligence. True intelligence, defined as “light and truth,” cannot be manufactured or artificial. It is eternal, inseparably connected to the soul, and rises with us in the resurrection.
He emphasized that moral agency and free will are central to discipleship. Unlike AI, humans act with conscience and the light of Christ, enabling righteousness and spiritual growth. This theological foundation underscores the sacred difference between God-given intelligence and man-made systems.
Cautionary Tales and Human Limits
Classical stories such as Prometheus stealing fire, Icarus with his wax wings, and the Tower of Babel illustrate the dangers of hubris and misplaced trust. Elder Gong used these narratives to warn against arrogance, overconfidence in human ingenuity, and the inevitability of unintended consequences.
These tales remind us that human attempts to create utopia are constrained by limited moral understanding. They serve as cautionary metaphors for the age of AI, urging humility and vigilance as society embraces powerful new technologies.
Rapid Adoption and Risks of AI
Artificial intelligence has become one of history’s fast-adopted technologies, with over 800 million weekly users. Industry growth is staggering: OpenAI may reach $100 billion in revenue within 15 years, while nearly 500 private AI companies are valued collectively at $2.7 trillion.
Yet this rapid expansion has concentrated technological power in unprecedented ways. A “winner-takes-all” environment driven by profit, fear of missing out, and global competition for artificial general intelligence (AGI) raises serious concerns. Elder Gong cautioned that profit-driven companies must not define society’s moral compass. Ethical frameworks are needed to safeguard dignity, identity, and human purpose.
Opportunities and Safeguards
At the same time, safeguards are essential. The Church warns against misuse such as deepfakes, anthropomorphizing AI, or treating it as a source of divine inspiration. AI must remain a tool—supporting creativity and faith—without replacing conscience, agency, or companionship.
Principles and Ethical Evaluation
In 2024, Elder Gong helped introduce guiding principles for AI use within the Church. These fall into four categories: spiritual connection, transparency, privacy and security, and accountability. He stressed that AI should never replace spiritual preparation or personal effort in writing talks, lessons, or prayers. Instead, it can assist with research, translation, and editing.
The Church has also established governance frameworks to ensure AI initiatives align with values, protect data, and comply with legal standards. A consortium of universities, including Baylor, BYU, Notre Dame, and Yeshiva universities, is prototyping a faith and ethics AI evaluation to ensure respectful portrayals of belief. This pluralistic effort seeks to embed moral grounding into AI systems.
Archetypal Lessons and Human Reality
Returning to archetypal stories, Elder Gong contrasts cautionary tales with the tender lesson of The Velveteen Rabbit. Becoming “real,” he explains, is rooted in love, endurance, and transformation. Unlike objects or machines, human beings are moral agents who submit to God’s will and act in covenant belonging.
This reality is eternal. Through discipleship and covenant love, individuals become their truest selves, exalted by God’s nature and purpose. Technology may simulate companionship or intelligence, but it cannot replicate divine love or eternal truth.
Conclusion: Testimony of Eternal Truth
Elder Gong concluded by testifying that discipleship in Jesus Christ reveals our ultimate reality. Truth is knowledge of things as they are, were, and will be, shaped by the Savior’s infinite atonement. Covenants, ordinances, and divine love are enduring and testify of God and Jesus Christ.
Artificial intelligence may reshape society, but it cannot replace revelation, moral agency, or covenant belonging. Elder Gong affirms that in the most real and eternal ways, God our Father and His Son Jesus Christ love us. Their truth is not artificial—it is everlasting, guiding humanity toward righteousness and exaltation.
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Elder Gerrit W. Gong, a Rhodes Scholar with advanced degrees from Oxford and a summa cum laude bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University, was sustained to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 2018. Born Elder Gong’s life is centered on discipleship to Jesus Christ, intellectual leadership, and devotion to family, noting his four children and five grandchildren. His background and calling uniquely position him to reflect on the promises and perils of artificial intelligence (AI).