The rapid rise of Artificial Intelligence and the role that Orthodox Christianity can play in shaping its ethical and metaphysical foundations were at the centre of the two-day conference “Artificial Intelligence and Orthodox Theology”, inaugurated on Thursday at Cyprus House / Centre for Culture in Athens.
Opening the event, Stavros Avgoustidis, Ambassador of the Republic of Cyprus to Greece, stressed that the accelerating pace of technological advancement “has triggered profound concerns for the future of humanity and society.” He added that Orthodox theology offers “a unique space of reflection,” placing the human person, freedom and spirituality at its core, and reminding us that technology must always serve human dignity.
“Dialogue between AI and Orthodox theological thought can shape an ethical, human-centred framework in which technology becomes a tool for creativity,”
the Ambassador said, noting that AI, bioethics and theology “ask the same fundamental question: what does it mean to be human?”
Representing the Hellenic Government, Yiannis Mastrogeorgiou, Secretary-General for Long-Term Planning at the Presidency, highlighted AI’s profound impact on both human life and the “psychosomatic whole of the person.”
“It is essential to distinguish the proper applications of AI, particularly when it comes to Orthodox faith and the Church,”
he noted, calling for a “spiritual roadmap” to guide people through an age of unprecedented complexity.
Mastrogeorgiou acknowledged AI’s usefulness in parish organisation and communication, but warned against viewing it as a pastoral substitute.
“AI can assist the Orthodox tradition by helping re-interpret patristic teachings for today,”
he said. As human beings co-evolve with their technologies, Orthodoxy can “reorient the disoriented person” and restore balance between spiritual meaning and technological progress. He added: “If Apostle Paul had access to AI, he would undoubtedly have used it in the most beneficial way to spread the Word of God.”
In his address, His Beatitude Archbishop Georgios of Cyprus spoke of the uncertainty produced by new technological paradigms. “Like every new reality, AI generates anxiety and demands a price for replacing old models,” he said, drawing parallels with the industrial and scientific revolutions.
The Archbishop emphasised that Orthodox faith can serve as a moral compass, reminding society that genuine progress is measured by the protection of human dignity, not profit.
“The question is not what technology can do, but what it should do,” he stressed, underscoring that AI cannot replace human creativity, judgment or emotion and requires responsible oversight. The Church, he said, must help people handle both information and human relationships with discernment so that new technologies remain “in the service of humanity.”
Representing the Archbishop of Athens and All Greece, Bishop Varnavas-Theocharis of Christoupolis highlighted the growing concern within the Church of Greece.
“The fact that society fears the rapid expansion of technology and debates regulatory frameworks shows there is a real problem,” he noted, adding that forums like this offer “valuable guidance for the future.”
Constantinos N. Fellas, President of the Cyprus National Bioethics Committee, reminded attendees that the early Church Fathers treated theology, philosophy and science not as conflicting forces but as distinct paths to the knowledge of God.
“Modern humans must reclaim a unified psycho-spiritual identity and adopt an ethical stance toward the risks posed by AI,”
he argued. Orthodox theology can engage AI “not to limit it, but to orient it toward serving the human person.”
From the Greek National Commission on Bioethics & Technoethics, its Acting Chair Charalambos Tsekeris described the present era as “technologically saturated yet spiritually hungry.”
“We seek meaning and identity more than ever,” he said. “Orthodox theology can help us reflect on the purpose of existence and social coexistence, offering a framework in which AI remains a facilitator—not a controlling force.”
Delivering the conference’s keynote lecture, Alexandros Katsiaras, Editor-in-Chief of the Church of Greece’s journal Theology, examined the “soteriological” misconceptions underlying modern attitudes toward technology. He warned against the belief that knowledge holds value only when it produces ‘useful’ results.
“The exaltation of utility keeps human beings on the surface of reality, confusing functionality with truth, efficiency with meaning,” he said.
Katsiaras cautioned that technology is increasingly treated as a path to salvation, promising solutions to weakness, decay and even death—an eschatological hope that distorts human identity. “Our digital selves now coexist with our physical selves. This cannot be reversed, but we must understand its consequences,” he noted. Through a renewed spiritual understanding of the human person, Orthodoxy can offer a source of hope “when humanity faces a potential apocalyptic dead-end.”
The conference concluded with calls for sustained dialogue among theologians, scientists, policymakers and ethicists to ensure that Artificial Intelligence evolves in a way that safeguards human dignity, spiritual depth and a coherent vision of what it means to be human.
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