With the dawn of 2025, the world welcomed the first members of a new generation labeled Generation Beta. They are the first generation that will be raised with artificial intelligence (AI) fully integrated into everyday life. As AI advances at breakneck speed, it introduces opportunities and challenges that strike at the heart of human identity and purpose. Ignoring or vilifying new technologies may feel safe, but it leaves us ill-equipped to guide the next generation. Instead, we must approach AI with discernment, understanding and a biblical lens.
Like the men of Issachar, who understood the signs of the times and knew the best course to take (1 Chron. 12:32), we must do the hard work of cultural exegesis. AI is shaping how young people think, learn and interact. As leaders, we are called to help them navigate these shifts with wisdom and compassion, equipping them to discern what is good, true and beautiful in a world of infinite options.
In an age dominated by AI, the church must reclaim the biblical truth of the imago Dei—that humans are uniquely created in God’s image for relationship, creativity and rest. John Lennox, a bioethicist, Christian apologist and professor of mathematics at Oxford University, captures the stakes: “The danger of AI is that in trying to make machines in our image, we risk destroying ourselves in the process.”
The Pressure of Performance
AI often amplifies the cultural lie that human worth is tied to productivity. This echoes the ambition of Babel, where humanity sought to build a tower to the heavens for its own glory (Gen. 11:4).
Young adults today face a similar temptation to measure their value by their output or technological achievements. AI, which promises efficiency and optimization, tempts them to find identity in what they do rather than who they are.
As ministry leaders, we must teach young people that their worth is rooted in being God’s image bearers (Gen. 1:27). This foundational truth frees young people from the relentless pressure of performance and calls them to embrace their God-given identity.
3 Core Areas for Discipleship
To effectively disciple the rising generations to live out their identity as bearers of God’s image in a world increasingly shaped by evolving technologies, leaders must address three critical areas where AI intersects with identity: the call to rest, the pursuit of legacy and the allure of immortality.
1. Rest
AI’s promise of limitless efficiency tempts young adults to overvalue productivity and undervalue rest. This mindset mirrors Pharaoh’s oppression of the Israelites, where their worth was reduced to their capacity to produce bricks.
God’s design for humanity includes limits and rhythms of rest, modeled in creation itself when God rested on the seventh day. Sabbath is more than just taking a break; it is a declaration of dependence on God and an act of worship (Mark 2:27). Lennox notes, “The command to rest is not a burden but a declaration of freedom.”
Application: Teach young adults the importance of Sabbath as a spiritual discipline. Encourage them to disconnect from technology one day a week to focus on relationships, worship and renewal. Leaders can model this practice by establishing rhythms of rest within their own ministries and inviting young adults to participate.
2. Legacy
The story of the Tower of Babel reveals humanity’s timeless desire to make a name for itself. AI offers a modern avenue for this ambition, enabling people to create tools, systems and achievements that outlast them. While legacy itself is not inherently wrong, the motive behind it often reflects a desire for self-glorification rather than God’s glory (Matt. 6:19–20).
C.S. Lewis captures the problem: “If you read history, you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next.” Legacy rooted in self-worship fades, but a legacy anchored in faithfulness to God endures.
Application: Challenge young adults to consider their motivations for creating and achieving. Facilitate discussions on what it means to build a life that glorifies God rather than seeking personal fame. Provide opportunities for service and mission work that emphasize eternal impact over worldly recognition.
3. Immortality
AI feeds into humanity’s ancient desire to escape our limitations. Transhumanism—the belief that technology can transcend human mortality—seeks to replace reliance on God with technological solutions.
Lennox warns, “When we seek to overcome death through technology, we bypass the gospel and forget the One who overcame death for us” (2 Tim. 1:9–10). Discipleship must anchor young adults in the hope of the resurrection, countering the false promises of AI-driven immortality.
Application: Host small group discussions about mortality, using Scripture to frame eternal life as a gift from God. Encourage young adults to reflect on their dependence on Christ and his promise of eternal life.
Uniquely Human
Today’s youth are the most technologically savvy generations in history, but they are also among the most spiritually hungry. Surrounded by infinite distractions, they are searching for meaning, purpose and truth.
AI is not the enemy; it is a tool. But it is a tool that demands careful stewardship. Left unexamined and unchecked, AI could represent humanity’s attempt to mirror the Creator by crafting machines in our own image. While innovation itself is not wrong, it becomes idolatrous when it displaces God (Ps. 115:4–8).
The AI age tempts humanity to blur the line between machine and man, but the imago Dei calls us to embrace the unique dignity of being human. As C.S. Lewis poignantly wrote, “There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal.”
As leaders, we must champion the biblical truth of the imago Dei: humanity’s inherent dignity as bearers of God’s image. Our value is not defined by what we can do, but by who we are in Christ. The temptation to create in our own image is ancient, yet AI makes it feel alarmingly attainable. AI may be a remarkable tool, but it will never rival the divine image stamped upon us.
Paul’s words to the Athenians serve as a reminder: “For in him we live and move and exist. As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’ And since this is true, we shouldn’t think of God as an idol designed by craftsmen from gold or silver or stone” (Acts 17:28–29)
In a culture fascinated by AI, let us proclaim the Creator’s beauty above the created. The image of God in us is infinitely more valuable than any innovation humanity can design.