{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"AI Church Toolkit","title":"AI, Ethics, and Empathy: A Conversation with Rev. Lauren Grubaugh Thomas","html":"<iframe width=\"100%\" height=\"180\" frameborder=\"no\" scrolling=\"no\" seamless src=\"https://share.transistor.fm/e/15f08b74\"></iframe>","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":3275,"description":"In this episode, Peter speaks with the Rev. Lauren Grubaugh Thomas, founding vicar of Holy Companion Episcopal Church and creator of A Soulful Revolution. Together, they explore the ethical and pastoral complexities of generative AI—its creative potential, its risks, and how the church can faithfully engage with this rapidly evolving technology.\n\nLauren draws on insights from Octavia Butler’s Parable of the Sower, shares stories from her ministry, and reflects on how spiritual formation, agency, and justice intersect with digital tools. From AI’s inherent bias to the dangers of false intimacy, this episode invites listeners to bring curiosity and caution as they shape change in an AI-shaped world.\n\nResources Mentioned\n\nParable of the Sower by Octavia Butler\nRoots and Wings at VTS Center \nA Kid’s Book About AI Bias by Dr. Avril Epps\n“A Soulful Revolution” by Lauren Grubaugh Thomas (Substack)\nBrittany Hartley\n\nHomework\n\nLauren invites listeners to reflect on their own use of AI with questions such as:Does this output reflect a just world?\nDoes it reinforce an unfair hierarchy?\nDoes it promote the agency and power of children (and others) to shape the world?","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/nOzEGrkHAKfFDXiOJqxbdIkuIVtODpe-FjF2fW7VItM/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS83MmNl/MzA5MWYxMGFlYzY4/OTcxMDEyY2YyMmUy/M2U5MC5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}