A-Level RE Masterclass 2025
Join Andrew Davison, Regius Professor of Divinity at the University of Oxford, for a live Q&A on Wednesday 5th March 2025 at 2.00pm
The Theology of Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is an example of how modern life moves at extraordinary speed, enabling us to do things we hadn’t even imagined a decade ago. Theology claims to have the widest of interests (‘God and everything as it relates to God’), so it ought to have something valuable to say about AI. This lecture sets out some of the main achievements of AI and will go on to explore areas where Christian theology has a response: ethics and politics, philosophy and Christian belief, how we talk, and the place that AI ought to have in our lives.
OCR (Religion and Ethics; Developments in Religious Thought)
AQA (Christianity and Science – Developments in Christian Thought)
Edexcel (Application of ethical theories to issues of importance)
A computer-generated image of St Edward the Confessor's Abbey. Credit: Ancient World
Speaker
Andrew Davison is the Regius Professor of Divinity at the University of Oxford, where he is also a canon of the cathedral at Christ Church. Before that, he was Starbridge Professor of Theology and Natural Sciences at the University of Cambridge. He went to Oxford as undergraduate in 1992 to read Chemistry, staying on for a DPhil in Biochemistry. In preparation for ordination, he moved to Cambridge for an undergraduate degree in theology in 2000 and later worked in a parish in Southeast London. After that, he taught Christian theology first in Oxford, then in Cambridge, before the Starbridge appointment. He works on theology, philosophy, and science, including a recent book on life beyond Earth (Astrobiology and Christian Doctrine) and some papers on AI.
How it works
A link to the YouTube recording of the lecture will be sent to those who have registered on 17th February. Teachers can use this in whatever way they want, perhaps setting it as homework, or watching it together with students in class. Teachers will also be sent a link for questions. We ask that each question is submitted on a separate link and all questions are submitted by 26th February.
The day before the live event (Wednesday 5th March 2025, 14:00-14:50) you will be sent an invitation to join in Microsoft Teams (requires a web browser but it is not necessary to download the app to view). Professor Davison will be interviewed by a member of the Abbey Learning Department, who will put selected questions to him. Viewers are invited to interact via the chat function, asking further questions if they wish. The live event will also be recorded and sent to all participants in case you are unable to join us live.
Suitable for: KS5
Duration: Lecture: 50 mins; Live Q&A: 40mins (this will also be recorded if you are unable to make the live event)
Cost: £48 per class. Includes private links to the lecture and Q&A and the opportunity to submit questions in advance.
