In theological education, many schools have been experimenting with ways that artificial intelligence can help in their work – including automating tasks, culling research and answering questions, and providing outlines of curriculum and syllabi.
Beyond the various engagement of AI, the University of Notre Dame has been working to deepen the ethical and philosophical understanding of the technology. Last year, the University of Notre Dame was awarded a landmark $50.8 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to develop a faith-based approach to artificial intelligence ethics, launching what leaders describe as one of the most ambitious efforts yet to bring religious wisdom into conversations about emerging technologies. The funding will support the DELTA Network, an initiative designed to help educators, faith leaders, technologists, and the broader public discern how AI should be developed and used in ways that promote human flourishing.
The work is based at the Notre Dame Institute for Ethics and the Common Good (ECG) and is the largest awarded to Notre Dame by a private foundation. Meghan Sullivan, a professor and director of the ECG and the Notre Dame Ethics Initiative, said the university is “committed to shaping public thought about how humans can flourish in an AI-driven world by drawing on our Catholic and Christian tradition.”
With a $539,000 planning grant from Lilly Endowment in 2024, Notre Dame developed the Christian-inspired DELTA framework, which is an acronym that stands for five Christian ethical values: dignity, embodiment, love, transcendence, and agency.
Project leaders say that conversations about AI ethics often focus narrowly on technical safeguards such as privacy or bias, leaving deeper questions about human meaning, responsibility, and the common good insufficiently addressed.
Rather than producing policy statements alone, the DELTA Network aims to build an interconnected community of practice.
The university’s plans for the grant include interdisciplinary partnerships, educational programs, engagement with pastoral leaders, and public forums intended to bring together those who design technology and those who must live with its consequences.
“Given the monumental impact that AI will have on our lives, this work is more vital than ever,” Sullivan said.
To learn more about the grant, go to: ethics.nd.edu
