MORAL COMPASS INSTITUTE
Faith Leadership for the Age of Artificial Intelligence

WHY THIS MATTERS

Clergy and faith leaders are already facing urgent questions:

• What are the best uses of AI for faith applications?

• How do we protect children from AI harms?

• How do we discern deepfakes and deception?

• What does human dignity mean in a world of intelligent machines?

• How should faith communities respond to job displacement and automation?

• Where is moral responsibility located in AI systems?

Technology is accelerating. Faith communities need informed, steady guidance.

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WHAT PARTICIPANTS GAIN

The Institute offers an intensive, day-long formation experience grounded in technical literacy and ethical discernment.

Participants leave with:

A Working Understanding of Generative AI

• How large language models are trained

• Why AI is probabilistic, not deterministic

• What “hallucinations” really are

• How alignment and human feedback shape model behavior

• How hidden system prompts influence output

• What agentic AI systems can now do

A Moral Framework for Discernment

Participants develop and apply their own “moral compass” tool, based in their own convictions and integrity:

• Does this enhance or diminish human dignity?

• Does this strengthen or weaken human relationships?

• Who benefits? Who may be harmed?

• Is there transparency about AI involvement?

• Does this promote truth or enable deception?

• What would be lost if we chose not to use AI here?

The goal is not prohibition. The goal is faithful wisdom.

The Institute does not impose a single moral framework. Participants engage from within their own traditions, convictions, and integrity. The work is to articulate and strengthen their own moral commitments — their own “soulgorithm” — and to put those commitments into practice for the good of their communities and the wider world.

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The Promise and the Peril
We address both the opportunities and the risks of AI.

Promise

• Accessibility and translation tools

• Educational and research support

• Administrative efficiency in ministry

• Creative tools for teaching and worship

Peril

• Deepfakes and synthetic media

• Voice-cloning scams

• Child safety risks

• Algorithmic bias

• Erosion of shared truth

• Surveillance and concentration of power

• Economic displacement

• Spiritual formation in an AI-saturated culture

Leaders engage real pastoral scenarios and leave equipped to guide congregants through complex, emerging realities.

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Global and Multifaith by Design
The Moral Compass Institute is guided by an independent, multifaith advisory committee representing major world religions, theologians, technologists, and community leaders across continents.

Our 2026 regional trainings include partnerships with:

• Harvard Neurospirituality Lab (Boston)

• Brigham Young University (Salt Lake City)

• Yeshiva University (New York)

• University of Notre Dame (South Bend)

• Baylor University (Houston)

• Pontifical Universities (Rome)

• Korean faith institutions (Seoul)

• Latino Evangelical networks (Orlando)

Every training welcomes participants from all traditions.

Graduates join an international alumni network with ongoing convenings, policy integration opportunities, advanced media training, and digital credentialing.

This is not a one-day event. It is the beginning of a global leadership network.

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Leadership
The Moral Compass Institute is led by:

Rev. Dr. Marian Edmonds-Allen, American Security Foundation; AI Initiative at the Neurospirituality Lab, MGB

Monsignor John Kimes, University of Notre Dame

Jonathan Barry, Mila – Quebec AI Institute

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Who Should Participate

• Senior clergy and denominational leaders

• Faith-based educators and chaplains

• Interfaith network leaders

• Seminary and university faculty

• Faith-based organizational executives

Participants engage from within their own convictions and traditions — contributing the depth of their faith to a shared global conversation.

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Certification and Ongoing Engagement
Participants complete:

• Hands-on learning and formation experiences

• Applied discernment exercises

• Pre/post assessment tools

• Credentialing

Select graduates receive advanced media training and may serve as public-facing faith leaders contributing to national and international conversations on AI governance.

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Join the Initiative
We are currently building our 2026 global training cohort and advisory network.

If you are:

• A senior faith leader

• A denominational executive

• A chaplain or educator

• A funder interested in ethical AI formation

• A global partner institution

We invite you to connect. Together, we can ensure that human dignity, moral agency, and spiritual wisdom remain central in the age of artificial intelligence.