If you search for bible verses about AI, you will not find the letters “A-I” in your Bible, except as a city in Joshua 7 and 8. Ai was a Canaanite town Israel attacked, and it has nothing to do with artificial intelligence. But Scripture says a great deal about the things AI raises: making, truth, wisdom, idolatry, and where our trust belongs.
My short answer is this: the Bible does not give us a verse about AI, it gives us a framework for it. Receive good gifts with thanksgiving, evaluate every tool with wisdom, and use it with discernment, keeping our trust in God alone. Below are fifteen passages grouped by theme, with a short note on each. If you want the fuller picture, start with my free guide, What Does the Bible Say About AI?.
A quick note on “Ai” in Joshua
Joshua 7 and 8 tell of Israel’s defeat at Ai and then its conquest. Some people share these chapters as “AI verses” as a joke, and it is a fun coincidence. But it is a place name, so I will leave it there and turn to passages that actually speak to our moment.
Made in God’s image: creativity and calling
“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” (Genesis 1:27)
Genesis 1:26-28. We are makers because we were made by a Maker. God also gave us a task: fill the earth and subdue it. Developing creation’s potential is part of the original design, which is why building tools is not inherently suspect.
Genesis 4:20-22. The first tents, instruments, and metalwork come from the line of Cain. God records these inventions without condemning the craft. Technology is a mixed inheritance: real gifts carried by fallen people.
Isaiah 54:16. God says, “I have created the smith who blows the fire of coals.” The one who forges the tool is himself God’s creature. Even the weapon-maker works under God’s hand, which reminds us that no technology sits outside his rule.
Notice that Scripture grounds creativity in who God is, not in what we can build. That is a quiet corrective to the cultural story that AI shows humans becoming gods. We remain creatures, gifted and accountable.
Common grace: good gifts through unbelievers
Matthew 5:45. Your Father “makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” This is the heart of what theologians call common grace, God’s non-saving kindness to all people. It is why a Christian can benefit from medicine, music, and software built by people who do not know Christ. For the full definition, read What Is Common Grace?.
Proverbs 2:6. “For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.” All real insight ultimately comes from him, even when the person who discovers it does not acknowledge him.
Ecclesiastes 1:9. “There is nothing new under the sun.” AI feels unprecedented, but the human heart that uses it is the same one Solomon described. The questions of pride, desire, and trust are old.
Idolatry and pride: when the tool becomes a god
Genesis 11:1-9. At Babel, people said, “Let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves.” The problem was not the bricks. It was the motive: building our way to glory apart from God. Any technology can be turned into a tower.
Psalm 20:7. “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.” Chariots were the cutting-edge technology of their day. The psalm does not ban them. It asks where our trust rests.
Romans 1:23. People “exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man.” Idolatry is worshiping the creation, or our own creations, in place of the Creator. When we ask whether AI will save us, or whether it deserves our devotion, this is the passage that answers.
Revelation 18. “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great!” (Revelation 18:2). The story that begins at Babel ends at Babylon, a civilization of commerce and power that collapses under judgment. It warns us against putting our hope in human systems, however impressive.
Notice what these four passages share. None of them says “avoid the tool.” Each asks what the tool is doing to our hearts and where our confidence lies. That is the question I want every church member to learn to ask.
Truth and honesty: living in an age of synthetic content
Exodus 20:16. “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” AI can generate convincing falsehoods in seconds. Christians are called to truthfulness, which means checking what we share and being honest about how we made it.
This matters for pastors and parents as much as for professionals. A student who lets a chatbot write an essay, or a pastor who borrows a paragraph without checking it, is not only risking an error. They are practicing a small habit of dishonesty or laziness. Truthfulness is a discipline we form in ordinary choices.
Wisdom and discernment: how to use what we receive
Romans 12:2. “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.” Tools shape their users. Discernment means asking not only “Does it work?” but “What is this forming in me?”
1 Corinthians 10:31. “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” That includes drafting an email with an assistant or researching a sermon. No part of life is exempt from worship. For a practical walk-through, see Should Christians Use AI?.
Sovereignty, community, and hope
Daniel 12:4. “Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.” Scripture anticipates an age of accelerating information. It does not tell us to panic, because the book is sealed and kept by God.
Isaiah 54:17. “No weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed.” God’s people are not at the mercy of whatever humans build. Our security rests in him, not in our ability to control technology.
Hebrews 10:25. “Not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another.” As more of life moves through screens and chatbots, the gathered church is irreplaceable. No tool can replace the embodied fellowship God designed.
Job 28 adds a final thought here: wisdom is not the same as information. AI can give us enormous amounts of the second, but the fear of the Lord remains the beginning of the first.
What these verses add up to
Read together, these passages refuse both easy answers. Genesis and Matthew tell us creativity and its fruits are gifts, so fearful rejection misses something God has given. Genesis 11, Psalm 20, and Romans 1 warn that gifts can become idols, so uncritical adoption is just as dangerous. Proverbs and Romans 12 point us to wisdom. And Isaiah and Revelation remind us who is actually on the throne.
That is the posture I teach: receive with thanksgiving, evaluate with wisdom, use with discernment.
Go deeper
These themes run through all six sessions of my course, God, AI, and the Future of the Church. Session 3 takes up Babel and the question of human ambition, and the final session follows the line from Babel to Babylon and the Christian hope. The course is currently open to a founding list, and you can join from the home page.
Frequently asked questions
Are there Bible verses about AI?
The Bible never mentions artificial intelligence, but it addresses the issues AI raises: creativity, truth, wisdom, idolatry, and trust. Passages like Genesis 1:27, Psalm 20:7, and Romans 12:2 give a framework for evaluating any technology.
What does the Bible say about technology?
Scripture treats technology as a mixed gift. Genesis 4 records early inventions without condemning them, and Genesis 11 warns against using human achievement for self-glory. The call is to use tools with thanksgiving and discernment, for God's glory.
Is AI mentioned in Joshua 7 and 8?
No. Ai in Joshua is a Canaanite city that Israel defeated after first being repulsed there. The similar spelling is a coincidence.
Is AI the Tower of Babel?
It can be, if we use it to make a name for ourselves apart from God. The Babel story warns about motive, not about building as such. The same technology can serve neighbors when used with humility.
Should Christians be afraid of AI?
No. Scripture calls us to wisdom, not panic, because God remains sovereign over every human invention. Christians can use AI with discernment while keeping their trust in the Lord.
About the author: Ryan Shelley
Founder of Common Grace Institute. Ryan holds a Master of Arts in Theological Studies from Westminster Theological Seminary and is a candidate for the MPhil in Artificial Intelligence at Capital Technology University.