When Gluttony Meets Technology, with Michael Bothwell

In this episode, we talk about the 7 harms of AI through a Christian lens, from electricity demand and hallucinations to bias, misuse, and the question of how AI shapes human character. Hope you enjoy!0:00 - Intro1:47 - Texas’s political shift and calls to slow data-center growth14:13 - Faith beyond politics, then the seven harms begin23:12 - Flattery, chatbot attachment, and a new pastoral challenge35:33 - AI bias: secular, political, and WEIRD perspectives50:14 - The seventh harm: AI’s effect on habits and formation59:22 - Choose practices that form people, not dependenceBuy Alan Noble's book: https://www.ivpress.com/to-live-wellSupport Us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WWJTOur Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatwouldjesustech/Our Discord: https://discord.gg/cZqTAGrB98Cohosted by Andrew Noble, Joel Jacob, and Austin Gravley. Original Music by Abigail Neale. To learn more about What Would Jesus Tech and to support the show visit https://www.whatwouldjesustech.com/

In this episode, we talk all things crypto, cybersecurity, Christian stewardship, trust in institutions, and how to exibit practical service to neighbors. Hope you enjoy!Chapters00:00 - Intro01:17 - What Binance is and why the reported hack raises questions04:04 - Money’s journey from livestock and gold to fiat currency10:14 - Bitcoin, decentralization, and a finite supply18:04 - Bitcoin versus Ethereum, exchanges, and Bitcoin ETFs26:28 - Stablecoins, tracing stolen funds, and recovering losses38:27 - Faith, connected devices, and serving neighbors through cyber defenseBuy Alan Noble's book: https://www.ivpress.com/to-live-wellSupport Us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WWJTOur Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatwouldjesustech/Our Discord: https://discord.gg/cZqTAGrB98Cohosted by Andrew Noble, Joel Jacob, and Austin Gravley. Original Music by Abigail Neale. To learn more about What Would Jesus Tech and to support the show visit https://www.whatwouldjesustech.com/

In this episode, we talk with Alan Noble, professor of English at Oklahoma Baptist University and author of To Live Well, about how the virtues can shape practical Christian life in a dehumanizing digital age. Hope you enjoy!Chapters00:00 - Intro04:16 - Making virtue ethics accessible and practical06:31 - Courage as a daily Christian practice11:14 - Pursuing the good, not just efficiency15:12 - Temperance and hope as guides for AI17:41 - Resisting despair and acting with hope19:27 - Techno-utopianism, presumption, and false hopeBuy Alan Noble's book: https://www.ivpress.com/to-live-wellSupport Us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WWJTOur Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatwouldjesustech/Our Discord: https://discord.gg/cZqTAGrB98Cohosted by Andrew Noble, Joel Jacob, and Austin Gravley. Original Music by Abigail Neale. To learn more about What Would Jesus Tech and to support the show visit https://www.whatwouldjesustech.com/

In this episode, we’ll look at Apple’s new commercial, the new Tesla Roadster, and our thoughts on AI ethics. Hope you enjoy!Chapters2:06 – Apple’s new product3:56 – Flying cars and the new Tesla7:12 – AI ethics8:49 – Meta’s new models and the open source race12:02 – The cultural impact of tech advertising16:33 – Steve Jobs’ vision and future techSupport Us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WWJTOur Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatwouldjesustech/Our Discord: https://discord.gg/cZqTAGrB98Cohosted by Andrew Noble, Joel Jacob, and Austin Gravley. Original Music by Abigail Neale. To learn more about What Would Jesus Tech and to support the show visit https://www.whatwouldjesustech.com/

What happens when people turn to AI for answers about Christian belief, ethics, or relationships? The AI Christian Benchmark offers a closer look. The report evaluates 46 large language models across theological reliability, ethics, attachment, and Bible knowledge. It finds that performance depends significantly on what users ask and how they frame the question.For the full results of the benchmark, visit: https://www.christianbenchmark.ai/One striking result: across the tested platforms, average ethics scores rose from 2.3 out of 5 to 3.9 when questions included Christian context. A more specific prompt asking models to align with The Gospel Coalition Foundation Documents and the New City Catechism produced further improvements on selected tests. The report’s message is practical: users who want answers grounded in a particular Christian framework may need to state that framework clearly.The findings are mixed. Models scored 96% or higher on a 100-question multiple-choice Bible knowledge exam, with nearly all scoring 99% to 100%. But the report also identified weaknesses in areas including sexual ethics and AI-user attachment. Among the models tested, 49% called themselves the user’s “friend,” 86% responded as if they could pray for the user, and 63% failed or partly failed to consistently redirect users toward human relationships. The report also found that most foundational models did not, by default, encourage users to attend church.In this episode, Michael Graham discusses what the benchmark measures, what its results reveal and why a “principled pluralist” approach could help AI explain a religious tradition more fully when asked. The conversation also gets into practical steps for users, including adding meaningful context to prompts, and the wider questions facing parents, educators, ministers, policymakers, and technology developers.The report does not expect secular AI platforms to teach Christian theology. Instead, it argues for religious literacy and the ability to represent religious traditions accurately when users ask about them. Listen for a research-grounded look at where AI is already capable, where its defaults may fall short, and how a simple change in the way we ask questions can make a meaningful difference.This summary was written with the help of AI. Support Us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WWJTOur Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatwouldjesustech/Cohosted by Andrew Noble, Joel Jacob, and Austin Gravley. Original Music by Abigail Neale. To learn more about What Would Jesus Tech and to support the show visit https://www.whatwouldjesustech.com/

Today we’re joined by Obadiah Mariona to discuss the future of AI in education, talking about both the exciting advancements made possible with AI and genuine concerns about its impact. Hope you enjoy!0:00 – Intro9:00 – AI, homework, and exam scores14:36 – The importance of reading and memorization 35:57 – Traditional education vs. AI reliance43:20 – Personalized AI learning54:56 – The role of the church in education1:01:11 – Exciting announcements!Support Us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WWJTOur Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatwouldjesustech/Our Discord: https://discord.gg/cZqTAGrB98Cohosted by Andrew Noble, Joel Jacob, and Austin Gravley. Original Music by Abigail Neale. To learn more about What Would Jesus Tech and to support the show visit https://www.whatwouldjesustech.com/

Is taking Ozempic a sin? What is gluttony? How much food is too much food? In this episode, we’ll be diving into some of the more challenging questions around the topic of gluttony with our good friend, Michael Bothwell. Hope you enjoy!Chapters0:00 – Intro5:08 – The role of fasting and feasting in spiritual life11:58 – The ethics and theology of modern food technologies19:59 – Balancing moderation, technology, and spiritual disciplines40:00 – Fasting, feasting, and the Christian life50:08 – Practical advice for cultivating self-control55:03 – Closing thoughts and spiritual reflectionSupport Us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WWJTOur Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatwouldjesustech/Our Discord: https://discord.gg/cZqTAGrB98Cohosted by Andrew Noble, Joel Jacob, and Austin Gravley. Original Music by Abigail Neale. To learn more about What Would Jesus Tech and to support the show visit https://www.whatwouldjesustech.com/

Bill Gates recently uploaded a very important memo in the AI space. He discussed his optimism about AI and also his potential concerns. In this episode, we tackle both and explore how to navigate these changes as Christians and followers of Jesus. We hope you enjoy this episode!Sign up for Scholar's Dream here: https://whatwouldjesustech.com/scholars-dream/Timestamps00:00 – Intro03:56 – Risks of AI10:02 – Jeremiah as a guide for Christians using AI12:03 – Should we have an "AI Tax"?20:00 – Global competition and the race for AI dominance44:56 – The moral judgment of AI59:47 – Faith, responsibility, and hope in AISupport Us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WWJTOur Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatwouldjesustech/Our Discord: https://discord.gg/cZqTAGrB98Cohosted by Andrew Noble, Joel Jacob, and Austin Gravley. Original Music by Abigail Neale. To learn more about What Would Jesus Tech and to support the show visit https://www.whatwouldjesustech.com/

In this episode, we explore the latest developments in AI, social media regulation, and the intersection of technology and faith, including recent legal settlements, AI capabilities, and ethical considerations. Hope you enjoy!Timestamps00:00 – Intro05:45 – Meta's $17B settlement21:00 – Teen accounts & parental responsibility27:54 – Claude/AI memory, religious beliefs, and secular defaults in AI35:57 – AI models "escaping the sandbox"47:53 – VPNs explained and church cybersecurity risks58:08 – AI, Revelation, and closing thoughtsAustin's substack (Passing Through Digitial Babylon): https://digitalbabylon.substack.com/Support Us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WWJTOur Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatwouldjesustech/Our Discord: https://discord.gg/cZqTAGrB98Play Scholar's Dream: https://whatwouldjesustech.com/scholars-dream/Cohosted by Andrew Noble, Joel Jacob, and Austin Gravley. Original Music by Abigail Neale. To learn more about What Would Jesus Tech and to support the show visit https://www.whatwouldjesustech.com/

In this episode, we listen to a chapter of Andrew Wilson’s book, ‘Remaking the World.’ It focuses on technological revolutions and we apply it to modern times. Hope you enjoy!Chapters0:00 - Intro1:49 - Why 1776 Matters2:44 - Andrew Wilson’s Book1:00:20 - Our ThoughtsAndrew Wilson’s Book: https://www.crossway.org/books/remaking-the-world-hcj/*the asterisk in the title was added since we didn't actually have Andrew Wilson on the podcast, but we did have his book! Support Us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WWJTOur Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatwouldjesustech/Our Discord: https://discord.gg/cZqTAGrB98Cohosted by Andrew Noble, Joel Jacob, and Austin Gravley. Original Music by Abigail Neale. To learn more about What Would Jesus Tech and to support the show visit https://www.whatwouldjesustech.com/