DBU Confronts the AI Revolution with a Christ-Centered Mission

Dallas Baptist University is training servant leaders who will harness artificial intelligence for human flourishing.

"The big question to be faced is: How can an ethical dimension be built into an algorithm that is itself devoid of heart, soul, and mind?"
—John Lennox, 2084: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Humanity

Recent stories underscore the critical need for ethical safeguards within the AI systems themselves, but our commitment to ethics cannot stop there. We are at a turning point in human history where we are being forced to ask deep questions about what it means to learn, to think, and to create.

In this new age of rapid change, one question rises above the rest: when machines can imitate human traits like critical thought, creativity, and even relationships, what does it mean to be truly human? Dallas Baptist University has chosen to face that question directly.

Character First

Generative AI is already transforming how people work, study, and interact, and this is a moment for universities to reexamine their purpose and clearly articulate to others the value and meaning of education. DBU is not approaching this moment with unchecked enthusiasm or casual indifference. Instead, the University is grounding its response in enduring truths. Its goal is to lead with wisdom, offering a Christ-centered approach that ensures AI strengthens human flourishing rather than weakens it.

Dr. Mary Flickner, Director of the General Education Curriculum at DBU, suggests that AI is like a powerful tool that amplifies human character, making the good better or the bad worse. Our focus remains on the character of our students and the development of their minds from a biblical worldview, so that AI can be harnessed for a profoundly positive impact on our culture.

At the heart of DBU's approach is the biblical principle of Imago Dei, the belief that only humanity is created in the image of God. This conviction guides every decision about how AI is used. At DBU, AI must serve as a tool that sharpens critical thinking, builds character, and fosters ethical leadership. Technology is embraced as a gift of human creativity entrusted by God, but to be used wisely and for the good of students. The University insists that dignity, wisdom, and redemption are not products of machines, but are found in Christ alone and His redemptive Kingdom work.

Technology Second

DBU was the first university in the United States to offer a Master of Science degree in Ethical Artificial Intelligence, a degree that blends technical understanding with Christian worldview formation, producing graduates fluent in AI's power but rooted in ethical discernment. DBU is preparing leaders who can guide industries shaped by technology with both conscience and competence.

Additionally, we have made intentional efforts to train our faculty on the use of AI both inside and outside the classroom, and we encourage them to engage in these discussions with their students. Over the past two years, DBU has invested heavily in preparing its faculty for this new reality. Through two courses for faculty—"AI in the Classroom" and "Advanced AI in the Classroom"—professors have been trained not only in the technical side of AI but also in its theological and ethical dimensions. These courses provide a more in-depth exploration of workshops offered during annual faculty development sessions.

AI is introduced as a support for learning, not a replacement for it. We focus on the latest developments, including projects, deep research, and custom GPTs, but always as a springboard for dialogue and creativity, not as a shortcut to easy answers.

Faculty guide students to ask sharper questions and push ideas further, but always with the awareness that we were made in God's image and are the only ones who can be inspired by His Spirit.

A Kingdom Mission

This approach reflects DBU's mission: to form servant leaders who live out their faith in every calling. Students are being trained to think critically, act ethically, and grow spiritually. Professors help students wrestle with the complexity and ambiguity of the world around them while remaining grounded in biblical truth. Students have long wondered, "Why do I have to take this class?", and with the ability to generate virtually any assignment in a few clicks, those questions are even more prevalent.  "As an institution of higher learning, we owe it to our students to help them see the value of a liberal arts education and how AI will help with that and where it will hurt them," said Justin Gandy, DBU's Assistant Provost for Accreditation. We are not just providing diplomas; we are shaping humans who will go into all the world to expand God's Kingdom. To be effective, they need every resource at their disposal, including AI, but more than that, they need a biblical grounding in the Imago Dei that will create a character within them strong enough to wield the AI tools of the future.

Why does this matter? Because the world is already tempted to take one of two paths. On one side is the urge to hand over thinking to machines. On the other side is the impulse to dismiss AI altogether. DBU offers a third option, a more hopeful path. Human virtues like wisdom, compassion, calling, and character cannot be written into code. They are cultivated in a faith community, shaped through spiritual formation, and grounded in eternal truth.

DBU is moving into the future with clarity and intention. As AI continues to shape daily life, DBU graduates will not stand by as spectators. We will step forward as builders and leaders, wise and compassionate, ready to use technology for human flourishing. This is DBU's vision: a generation prepared to shape the AI age instead of being controlled by it. All to the glory of God and for the good of the world.