At the heart of Baylor University’s identity lies a dual commitment — to rigorous academic research and to its Christian mission. This year, those two pillars converge in a powerful way at the annual Symposium on Faith & Culture, which is shaping up to be the largest in the event’s history. With over 700 attendees already registered, the conference titled “Technology and the Human Person in the Age of AI” will bring some of the country’s most compelling voices together to examine how artificial intelligence is reshaping what it means to be human.
What Is the Symposium on Faith & Culture?
Held annually on Baylor’s campus, the Symposium on Faith & Culture has long been the university’s flagship interdisciplinary event, drawing scholars, students, faculty, and professionals from both Christian and secular institutions across the nation. This year’s conference runs from February 26–28 and is free for all Baylor students, faculty, and staff. Those who preregister can also attend conference meals at no cost. The full schedule of speakers and events is available through the Guidebook app.
Why AI and Faith? Understanding the Conference Theme
Artificial intelligence is no longer a distant, speculative topic — it is reshaping healthcare, education, law, and daily life at an extraordinary pace. Baylor’s Symposium recognizes that these changes carry profound ethical and theological implications that go far beyond technical conversations.
“I don’t think anyone’s in any doubt about the importance and the impacts of AI,” said Dr. Neil Messer, a Baylor professor of theological bioethics and featured conference speaker. “This is a great opportunity to join in the conversation, to learn more together about how we think about these questions and how to respond to them from the standpoint of the Christian faith tradition that Baylor represents.”
Dr. Elisabeth Kincaid, director of Baylor’s Institute for Faith and Learning, echoed this sentiment, emphasizing that the conference takes a broad, humanistic lens rather than a narrowly technical one. “We’re looking pretty broadly, not just about AI specifically, but about our understandings of what it means to be human, how we should use technology,” she said. “And of course, from that, thinking about how our relationship with God, our relationships to other people, and our relationships with the world are affected and impacted by AI.”
Who Will Be Speaking at the Conference?
The conference features an impressive and diverse roster of speakers, including theologians, technologists, scientists, ethicists, administrators, and educators. This interdisciplinary mix ensures that conversations about AI are examined from multiple angles — philosophical, scientific, spiritual, and practical. Both Messer and Kincaid are also involved in an AI Ethics and Data Research Group at Baylor, which has been actively contributing to ongoing national and international dialogues about AI governance and faith-based ethics.
Why Students Should Attend
Baylor’s leadership is particularly enthusiastic about student engagement at this year’s symposium. Dr. Kincaid noted that college is one of the best environments to wrestle with complex, high-stakes questions. “Part of the reason people are at college is to engage in these hard and challenging discussions that have a huge impact on our life,” she said. “I think it would be a really wasted opportunity to miss it.”
Dr. Messer added that his hope for student attendees goes beyond passive observation. “I hope this conference equips students to be aware of both the opportunities and the challenges of AI and gives them some clear perspectives on how to respond to those opportunities and challenges — how to recognize the positive things that AI can do for us, but also how to be aware of the ethical concerns that we need to take seriously.”
Baylor’s Unique Role in the AI Conversation
What sets Baylor apart in the national AI conversation is its ability to blend theological inquiry with academic rigor. As a Christian research university, Baylor occupies a unique space where questions of purpose, morality, and meaning are treated with the same seriousness as empirical research.
“We think as Christians that it’s really important that we ask these significant ethical, meaning, and purpose questions that go beyond just talking about AI as a tool,” Kincaid said. “We think the world is asking them, and that a Christian research university like Baylor offers some really unique perspective that we can bring to that discussion.”
A Space for Difficult Conversations
Every year, the Faith & Culture Symposium is designed to provide a safe, intellectually rich environment where people with diverse viewpoints can engage in meaningful dialogue. This year is no exception. Attendees can expect a wide range of perspectives — from those who are optimistic about AI’s potential to transform medicine and education, to those who raise urgent concerns about privacy, bias, human dignity, and job displacement.
The 2025 symposium stands as a timely reminder that the most important questions raised by artificial intelligence are not purely technical — they are deeply human. And at Baylor, those human questions are always asked in the context of faith.
