Dr David Barstow: “The future with artificial intelligence is very uncertain, and we will get there very quickly”

Dr David Barstow: “The future with artificial intelligence is very uncertain, and we will get there very quickly”

iku

Tue, 10/13/2026 - 13:02

Dr David Barstow is a ruling elder at First Presbyterian Church in Corvallis, Oregon, (US) and a member of the Faith and Science Working Group of the World Council of Churches (WCC) Commission of the Churches on Health and Healing. Barstow earned a PhD in artificial intelligence at Stanford 50 years ago, so he has seen the field grow from an obscure academic discipline to a rapidly changing technology that will have dramatic effects on society and the planet.

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David Barstow engaging in discussion at the symposium, “Our Common Future: Advocating for Digital Rights and AI Accountability” held in April 2026 in Berlin, organized by the World Association for Christian Communication (WACC), in collaboration with the World Council of Churches (WCC), the Association of Protestant Churches and Missions in Germany, and Brot für die Welt.

Photo: Albin Hillert/WCC

What most concerns you today regarding AI?

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