The Bible in the Age of AI: Rethinking Interpretation, Authority and the Human

Abstract

Artificial intelligence is transforming how people read, interpret, and engage with Scripture. Machine translation tools now produce biblical translations in dozens of languages, large language models generate sermons and exegetical commentary, and AI-powered study apps deliver instant interpretations to millions of users. This paper examines the hermeneutical, theological, and ethical implications of these developments. It argues that while AI can serve as a valuable tool for certain interpretive tasks, it cannot function as a genuine subject of interpretation. Drawing on philosophical hermeneutics, particularly the work of Gadamer and Ricoeur, the paper contends that biblical interpretation is a dialogical, situated, and transformative event that cannot be reduced to algorithmic processing. It further argues that the authority of Scripture is not threatened by AI per se but by the uncritical delegation of interpretive responsibility to non-human agents. The paper proposes a hermeneutics of responsible human agency that reclaims the indispensability of readerly judgment, communal discernment, and ethical accountability in an age of algorithmic mediation. It concludes by outlining a framework for ethical AI use in biblical studies that prioritises transparency, human oversight, and the formation of the reader.