By Sahayaraj J. Stanley, SJ

The Gospel of John begins with, “In the beginning was the Word.” Today, one could say, “In the beginning was the Code.” Code has become the fundamental building block of our modern reality. The code has become the DNA of artificial intelligence (AI) programs.

This code holds immense power: it can humanise our universe, yet it also hangs over humanity like a Damocles’ sword, capable of destroying us and our world. Humanity’s deepest dream is to live in peace and prosperity. In Hebrew, this is ‘Shalom’ – a concept encompassing tranquility, blessing, and wholeness. The prophets taught that peace is the work of justice (opus justitiae pax).

The critical question is: Can AI be humanised to serve humanity and foster peace, rather than endanger it?

AI and War: The advancement of AI in warfare is transforming wars and conflicts. Nations are stockpiling AI-powered weapons, such as drones and autonomous killing machines. Reports detail the Israeli military’s use of the ‘Lavender’ AI system in Gaza, where algorithms were used to identify targets, blurring the lines of moral and legal accountability. One officer stated the soldiers had more faith in a ‘statistical mechanism’ than in a soldier.

Countries worldwide are racing to weaponise AI, with the US, UK, China, and Russia making significant investments. The rise of ‘killer robots’ raises urgent ethical questions, particularly their inability to reliably distinguish between combatants and civilians, heralding what some call AI’s ‘Oppenheimer moment.’

AI for peace and security: Despite its dangers, AI also holds promise for peace-building. Data gathered for military purposes can also be used for conflict resolution. In Africa, AI has been used to: – Detect evidence of war crimes in Darfur via satellite imagery -Warn communities of militia attacks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo using mobile networks –  Organize social movements for justice and publicize human rights abuses via social media.

As Baruch Spinoza noted, “Peace is not merely the absence of war but a virtue, a state of mind rooted in benevolence and justice. The United Nations and other institutions are spearheading initiatives to use AI for peace, with UN Secretary-General António Guterres warning that “Humanity’s fate can’t be left to algorithms.”

The Vatican’s doctrinal note Antiqua et Nova emphasises that with increased technological power comes greater human responsibility to ensure that humanity becomes “truly better.”

AI and counter-terrorism: While movies like Mission: Impossible depict rogue AI, real-world international bodies are using AI to combat terrorism. The U.N. Counter-Terrorism Office reports that machine algorithms can detect and remove terrorist internet content within 15-20 minutes. Quantum computing and AI accelerate information processing and are used now to trace terrorists, and blockchain technology is being explored to identify terror financing. These tools help identify and respond to risks before they become severe.

Hate speech and AI: Hate speech, a poison to societal peace, is being amplified by AI. Hate speech is rampant, particularly in political arenas like India, where reports indicate a 74% jump in 2024, often targeting minorities.

Political parties use dedicated IT wings and AI tools to generate and disseminate fake news and polarising content via social media, effectively “manufacturing consent.” AI- powered deepfakes and bot networks spread hatred faster than humans, destroying truth and peace. In response, initiatives like the ‘Helios’ software, developed by IIT Patna, use AI and natural language processing to detect and sanitize hate speech online. Such tools are crucial for protecting gullible populations and upholding human rights.

Human rights and AI: Peace and human rights are deeply intertwined. Blatant violation of human rights endangers peace. In India, despite constitutional guarantees, violations like police brutality, caste discrimination, and gender violence persist.

AI tools are increasingly used to expose these abuses globally. Satellite imagery and deep learning have been used to detect mass graves in Burundi, track Boko Haram brutalities in Nigeria, and support cases at the International Criminal Court. Human rights organizations  like Amnesty International are creating programmes to harness AI.

At the same time AI-driven surveillance often targets the poor and vulnerable, systematically abusing their rights for corporate or state interests.

Climate changes and AI: Climate change is a major disruptor of peace, forcing mass migration as people flee uninhabitable lands. The role of women, crucial to ecological sustainability in rural societies, is often rendered invisible by profit-driven corporate systems – a phenomenon Vandana Shiva calls ‘maldevelopment.’ AI offers tools to combat climate change and thus promote stability. It enables near-accurate weather forecasts, maps deforestation, helps recycle waste, and aids industry decarbonisation. Drones are transforming farming in India. As peace scholar Johan Galtung argued, environmental degradation is a form of structural violence. Addressing climate change with AI is, therefore, directly addressing issues of justice and peace.

Peace & AI: Some ethical concerns:

a. Conscience and the Heart: Can a machine have a conscience? The debate continues, with some, like former Google engineer Blake Lemoine, claiming AI has attained sentience. Theologian Peter J. Bellini argues that while machines may surpass human  cognition, they cannot truly attain human-like consciousness, which is unique to humans made in the image of God. Peace ultimately stems from the human heart.

b. Humanising AI: Legal and Ethical perspectives: There is a growing push to regulate AI. The European Union’s AI Act and the Vatican’s new ‘Guidelines on Artificial Intelligence’ are early examples. The Vatican’s doctrinal note, Antiqua et Nova emphasises that with increased technological power comes greater human responsibility to ensure that humanity becomes “truly better.”  Humanising is a moral imperative. Philosopher Emmanuel Levinas grounds ethics in the ‘face-to-face’ encounter with the Other. Modern AI warfare, where operators pilot drones from thousands of miles away, eliminates this human contact, drastically reducing the sense of culpability and responsibility.

c. AI for communities fighting against capitalism: AI is not solely a tool for the elite. It can be used to empower vulnerable communities, helping to preserve endangered languages and cultures through ‘Culturally Intelligent AI.’ However, most AI is currently controlled by capitalist entities (the FAANG companies) that thrive on surveillance, which helps them optimize profit and exploit labour.

AI is not solely a tool for the elite. It can be used to empower vulnerable communities, helping to preserve endangered languages and cultures.

Scholar Dan McQuillan, in his work, Resisting AI, calls for an anti-fascist approach to AI. He argues that predictive algorithms act as a mechanism of ‘state racism,’ dividing resources and identifying some people as worthy and others as drains. He advocates for collective solidarity, grassroots technology, and a solidarity economy as an antidote to capitalistic AI, requiring a radical rethinking of how these tools are employed.

Conclusion: Coding is the DNA of our digital age. As software engineer Martin Fowler said, “Good programmers write code that humans can understand.” This can be infused with an ethical meaning: there is no neutral code. Code must be written with care for human well-being.

The Gospel offers a model for contextual meaning that helps people flourish. Humanity’s quest for power through technology echoes the temptations of Babel and the Golden Calf. What we need is a ‘New Pentecost’ – a language and syntax written in the code of love, understanding, and cooperation. The ‘bugs’  of violence and injustice must be “patched” with fixes that promote peace.             Humans must write programmes for human wellbeing. In this machine age, we must harness our imagination and creativity to promote peace. While violence is amplified through machines, peace can also be planned and executed through them. The central question remains: Will our code serve the powerful, or will it bring about peace in our world – peace for all humans? The answer depends on our will to change.

(This article is a summary of the paper presented by Sahayaraj J. Stanley, SJ at the AMTI Conference, Trivandrum, in October 2025.)

Sahayaraj J. Stanley, SJ is a professor of moral theology and Director, Programmes, Dhyana Ashram, Chennai.