The ERLC received two grants to support our work in the emerging fields of technology ethics, recognizing the central role technology plays in social ethics as well as individuals’ walk with Christ.
The first was a $24,000 grant from the Charles Koch Foundation received on April 15, 2019, that provided funding for the ERLC to host two in-person gatherings to develop and launch the first faith-based statement of principles on artificial intelligence. The initial drafting convening took place in fall of 2018 in Nashville. The statement of principles was released to the public at an event in Washington, D.C. The statement was signed by over 70 evangelical leaders from across the U.S. and helped launch the ERLC’s work on technology and AI. The grant also helped in the distribution of the statement of principles to members of Congress along with other resources promoting a biblical worldview. The ERLC’s work in this area of Christian ethics helped pastors engage these issues and aided the messengers of the Southern Baptist Convention when they adopted the first denominational statement on the ethics of AI in 2023 titled “On Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies.”
The second grant was a $50,000 grant from Facebook, Inc. received on Oct. 13, 2020. Following the organization’s work on AI ethics, the Digital Public Square research project was launched by our team as a way to engage the ongoing challenges to free speech and religious freedom in our digital world. The grant came alongside the trustee-approved research project to provide additional resources for the research team, including books, journals, research material, and travel costs, as well as help support the design and production costs associated with the project landing page at erlc.com, the WeeklyTech Newsletter, and WeeklyTech/The Digital Public Square podcast (2020-2024).
The remaining balance of this grant will help underwrite a research gathering in 2024 of philosophers, theologians, ethicists, public policy experts, healthcare professionals, and lawyers for the publication of a future volume on a distinctly Baptist approach to social ethics in a secularizing society.
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