International Consultation on ‘Artificial Intelligence and Posthumanism’ commences in Cyberjaya, Malaysia
Participants of the International Consultation on ‘Artificial Intelligence and Posthumanism: Ethical and Theological Perspectives’
Cyberjaya, Malaysia: The international consultation on ‘Artificial Intelligence and Posthumanism: Ethical and Theological Perspectives’ organised by the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) commenced in the afternoon of 1 October 2025 in Cyberjaya, Malaysia.
The four-day consultation was formally opened by Dr Mathews George Chunakara, CCA General Secretary. Dr Anna Alisha Mathew Simon, Vice-moderator of the CCA, welcomed the gathering.
In his opening address, Dr Chunakara stated, “We live in an era where Artificial Intelligence (AI) is reshaping the world at every moment. What was once imagined as a futuristic possibility has now become a present reality, and AI is transforming industries, institutions, and even the rhythms of daily life”.
While outlining the rapid advancements of AI that have ushered in an era of unprecedented innovation, the CCA General Secretary said, “AI is presenting both remarkable opportunities for human flourishing and complex ethical and societal challenges; from education to commerce, from medical services to social services, from ecclesial to political—no sector remains untouched by the generative and disruptive power of this transformative technology”.
Dr Chunakara observed that the rapidly evolving landscape of AI brings with it a host of questions about its potential impact on the human experience and how to navigate it ethically and morally.
Thirty-five participants, including scientists, technologists, theologians, missiologists, ethicists, social scientists, jurists, medical professionals, and academics, are attending the consultation being held in Malaysia’s cybercity near Kuala Lumpur.
“As Artificial Intelligence encroaches on every dimension of the human experience, from how we work and learn to how we connect and make decisions, Christian communities are confronted with pressing questions about human flourishing in light of being created in the image of God”, further observed the CCA General Secretary.
Dr Chunakara emphasised both the opportunities and anxieties surrounding AI’s global spread. He noted how AI has become embedded in everyday human practices, while the world is so enthusiastic about the advancements of technology and the marvellous changes AI brings to human life.
Dr Chunakara further added that much of the public unease and fear of Artificial Intelligence stems from the apprehension that AI will displace jobs across various sectors, leading to widespread unemployment, ethical dilemmas, and significant social impacts. He emphasised that the urgent task for contemporary society is to discern how to use AI technologies wisely and responsibly, ensuring they encourage and sustain rather than undermine and destabilise human flourishing.
“It is a reality that AI is now present in every dimension of the human experience; it is an imperative to realise that adherents of the Christian faith also need to respond thoughtfully to questions about what it means to live and flourish as human beings created in God’s image”, concluded the CCA General Secretary.
The first thematic address on “Artificial Intelligence and Posthumanism: Changing Global Contexts and Trends” was delivered by Dr Levi Checketts, Director of the Centre for Applied Ethics at Hong Kong Baptist University.
Dr Checketts unpacked the close ties between transhumanist philosophy and AI research. He warned that “a small handful of people who explicitly hold morally dubious views about how to push the next stage of human evolution are funding and directing much of AI research and deployment”.
Dr Checketts also explored the theological and ethical questions raised by these developments, including what it means to be created in the Imago Dei in an age of machines that mimic human intelligence. Pointing to the risks of cultural imperialism, uneven benefits, and disproportionate harms of AI in Asia, he posed a crucial question, “Who defines what is rational, what is a flaw, what is valuable about the human?”
Drawing from liberation theology, Dr Checketts suggested that churches in Asia must adopt the perspective of the marginalised when addressing AI’s rise. He suggested that, seeing God in the face of the wretched, the development of AI should be beneficial for specific achievements of the common good. The poor should be participants in designing and implementing AI.
“Christians need to be witnesses to God’s love for all, especially those despised by the world. Theological examination of technology needs to trace what the technology is and how it shapes our experience of the world”, further added Dr Checketts.
Dr Checkett’s presentation also covered several pertinent issues related to AI, such as theological and anthropological concerns, transhumanist anthropology, cultural imperialism, unequal opportunities, political and industrial constellations, automated weapons in local conflicts, theological attitudes to AI, tech-cautious attitudes, Christian transhumanism, and pastoral concerns related to AI.
