Hong Kong Christian Communities and Artificial Intelligence – A Response to Beth Singler’s Religion and Artificial Intelligence: An Introduction

Religious communities are reckoning with Artificial Intelligence (AI), from headline-grabbing AI “Catholic confessing booths” and predictions of AI-Armageddon, to more mundane uses of recommender algorithms on social media, meditation apps, and sermon translations. Narratives from religion are also repurposed as AI-focused ideology and shape imagination of the design and future of AI. We bring perspectives from sociology, anthropology, and philosophy to analyse understandings and uses of AI in the context of Hong Kong Christian communities. We expand upon Beth Singler’s (2024) framework for approaching AI-religion “entanglements” according to rejection/adoption/adaptation, offering local case studies in support of, and as counterexamples to, this threefold organisation. Following recent waves of migration and the COVID-19 pandemic, Hong Kong Christian communities were formed through frequent use of technologies, such as social media movements, Zoom fellowships, and Sunday service livestreams. Whether begrudgingly or happily, these communities must adopt new technologies, with multiple leaders and members readily and critically engaging with AI. We find continuations of existing trends in Hong Kong Christian technology use (identified in previous research e.g. Chu, 2023; Chu, 2025), such as creative approaches to the Bible, a focus on societal issues, and grassroots leadership structures. These trends feed into community members demonstrating a desire to avoid being left behind by technological advancements. Additionally, leaders who have a strong online presence offer encouragement and training, with the aim of using AI-driven platforms to further creativity and promote social good. We also consider how AI tools can be seen as necessary aids for a grassroots approach to religious activities. However, negative discourse arises around security and privacy, with concerns about who has the power to control narratives offered by generative AI. We conclude that there is much to learn from this community of relatively early adopters who are also engaging closely with ongoing social issues.