From Domination to Communion: A Christian Ethics for AI, Animals, and Humanity

This paper examines the ethical and metaphysical challenges posed by artificial intelligence (AI), including the prospective emergence of artificial superintelligence (ASI), highlighting how technological systems can replicate patterns of domination and ethical distortion already present in human society. Moving beyond contemporary frameworks that treat AI as a neutral tool or a competitor for dominance, the study proposes an alternative ethical paradigm grounded in Christian theology and Greek philosophy. Central to this framework are the principles of providential care, stewardship, and the recognition of the intrinsic worth and uniqueness of all created beings-human and non-human alike. While AI lacks moral agency, its design and deployment reflect the ethical orientation of human creators, meaning that responsible stewardship can enable AI to approximate practices that foster relationality, care, and flourishing. By situating AI within this theological and anthropological horizon, the paper envisions a future in which technology supports the dignity of all life and transforms the threat of domination into a horizon of communion and ethical responsibility.