Algorithms vs Souls: The Use of AI in Global Missions

Intelligent Design the Future

Discovery Institute's Center for Science and Culture

Astronomy, Life Sciences, Science, Philosophy, Society & Culture

4.3 • 1K Ratings

🗓️ 1 July 2026

⏱️ 71 minutes

🔗️ Recording | Apple Podcasts | RSS

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Summary

ID The Future listeners now get to enjoy two episodes each month from our sister podcast Mind Matters News, a production of the Discovery Institute’s Walter Bradley Center for Natural and Artificial Intelligence. The Mind Matters News podcast brings you insight from computer scientists, engineers, inventors, neurosurgeons, and other experts who bring sanity to the conversation about natural and artificial intelligence, going beyond the hype to explore the undercurrents of these important ideas. And although the Mind Matters News podcast will not often explicitly discuss intelligent design, it regularly explores the nature of intelligence, the origin of information, and the things that make us uniquely human, all concepts that are central to the theory of intelligent design. Enjoy today’s offering of Mind Matters News! AI is having impact everywhere. But what about global outreach initiatives? And specifically Christian missions? How are those in the mission field using artificial intelligence? On this episode of Mind Matters News, host Robert J. Marks and co-host Jonathan Swindell welcome Dr. Don Barger to the show. Barger is the Director of Innovation and Artificial Intelligence at the International Mission Board. Don works with new technology, especially AI, and helps people use it in smart and responsible ways. He thinks a lot about how AI can help in real-life situations, especially in global missions. He also understands the limits of AI and what it cannot do. In this conversation, we'll discuss how AI is changing the world, how AI should be used responsibly in global outreach initiatives to other cultures and peoples, and what it all means for the future.

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0:00.0	Welcome to ID the Future. I'm Andrew McDermott.
0:03.5	Today's episode comes to us from our sister podcast, Mind Matters News, a production of the Discovery Institute's Walter Bradley Center for Natural and Artificial Intelligence.
0:14.0	You can learn more about the show and access other episodes at mindmatters.a.I.
0:24.4	Greetings. episodes at mind matters.a.ai. Greetings and welcome to Mind Matters News. I'm your host with Real Intelligence, Robert J. Marks.
0:30.0	You know, AI is having an impact everywhere. But what about Christian missions? How are those in
0:35.5	the mission field using artificial intelligence?
0:37.8	Our guest today is Dr. Don Barger. He is the director of innovation and artificial intelligence
0:42.4	at the International Mission Board. Don works with new technology, especially AI, and he helps
0:48.7	people use it in smart and responsible ways. We're going to be talking about that today.
0:52.9	He thinks a lot about AI can help in
0:55.5	real life situations, especially in global missions. He also understands the limits of AI and what it
1:01.8	can and cannot do. We're glad to have him here to talk about how AI is changing the world and
1:08.5	what it means for the future. Helping me out today is Jonathan Swindell.
1:12.9	Jonathan is a contributor to Mind Matters News.
1:15.3	He's a computer engineer and is a PhD candidate at Baylor University.
1:19.7	So he'll be acting as my co-host today.
1:22.9	So let's start out with Don's Ph.D.
1:26.3	I'm going to give it over to Jonathan now because John's
1:29.8	PhD is in an area I never heard of before. Yeah. So Don, I believe your PhD is in orality, right?
1:38.2	It is. And a lot of people think morality, but it's not morality. It's orality. So tell us,
1:43.6	what does morality mean? You know, it's orality. So tell us, what does morality mean?
1:46.0	You know, it's just recognizing that people get information in a variety of different ways.
	...

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