What Would Jesus Tech

Altman, Musk, and Belief in God

Do tech leaders believe in God?What are the reasons why they tend to believe in what is material, but not what is immaterial? Is there anything beyond matter to an engineer in a secular age? When you've been trained on analyzing the nature of things, you struggle to consider a thing of supernature. Perhaps this is what has happened.Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI (ChatGPT), says he views the world as a tech-nerd, and therefore, in his own logic, he does not believe in spiritual things. Elon Musk is similar, as a clip in this episode shows. And just wait till you hear what Steve Jobs said! We all need God. And he's more real than we realize.00:00 - Intro3:00 - Why enchantment? What secular age?14:00 - Sam Altman's lack of belief20:45 - Elon Musk and the sensus divitatis31:29 - Steve Jobs, "there must be more"35:12 - We are NOT less enchantedWe're hiring! If you're interested in becoming the WWJT Podcast Manager, please see job description and application process here: https://x.com/AndrewDNoble/status/1971207236455420089Books cited:Charles Taylor – A Secular Age (2007)The foundational 800-page philosophical work on how belief in God shifted in modernity.James K. A. Smith – How (Not) to Be Secular: Reading Charles Taylor (2014)A short, accessible summary and engagement with Taylor’s A Secular Age.Alan Noble – Disruptive Witness: Speaking Truth in a Distracted Age (2018) Applies Charles Taylor’s framework to technology, culture, and Christian witness.Tony Reinke – God, Technology, and the Christian Life (2022)A biblical theology of technology; argues all technology should point us back to awe and gratitude toward the Creator.Joseph Minich – Enduring Divine Absence: The Challenge of Modern Atheism (2017)Explores the modern sense of God’s absence and how to live faithfully amid it.Walter Isaacson – Steve Jobs (2011)The definitive biography of Steve Jobs, including his reflections on death, the afterlife, and transcendence.Gray Sutanto – A Sense of the Divine: An Affective Model of General Revelation from the Reformed Tradition (2025)A scholarly work building on Calvin, Herman Bavinck, and J.H. Bavinck on the “sense of the divine” (sensus divinitatis).Original Music by Abigail Neale. The Thumbnail was created in Sam Altman's and OpenAI's GPT-5. AI audio text-to-speech by ElevenLabs.What Would Jesus Tech? is cohosted by Andrew Noble, Joel Jacob, and Austin Gravley. To learn more about What Would Jesus Tech and to support the show, visit whatwouldjesustech.com

Psychedelics: a Christian Evaluation, with Phil Cotnoir

Is this trend something to be happy about? Many are seeing psychedelics as an "on-ramp" to pagan spiritualism *and* to Christianity. Psychedelics include LSD, psilocybin (found in magic mushrooms), DMT (found in ayahuasca), and mescaline (found in Peyote and San Pedro cacti). While various ethical concerns may be noted, there are also some apparent medicinal benefits. Is there room for nuance here? Or should we, as Christians, reject psychedelics completely?Phil Cotnoir is a husband, a father of four, an avid reader, and a freelance writer and editor. He recently wrote:- The Coming Psychedelic Moment at Mere Orthodoxy- The Psychedelic Renaissance: A Story of Hype and Hubris at The Gospel CoalitionKeywords: psychedelics, technology, spirituality, Christianity, mental health, conversion stories, tech culture, ethical research, medicinal use, recreational use. Thumbnail generated with the help of ChatGPT.To learn more about What Would Jesus Tech and to support the show visit whatwouldjesustech.com

Demons Can Use AI, Within Limits

Yes, there is talk of demons controlling AI. Why wouldn't they? Why wouldn't they use Generative AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude to influence humanity?And yet, we shouldn't go too far when thinking about their control. They are subordinated and limited by God. In this episode, we explore the intersection of spiritual warfare, demons, and artificial intelligence. We get into some personal experiences with demonic influences, and the theological framework needed when thinking about AI demons.00:00 Intro01:02 Yes, Demons in 202503:06 Limits and Influence of Demons10:02 Physical Objects13:51 The Nature of Idols, Demons, and AI17:39 Cultural Phenomena and Spirituality23:29 Power and Providence35:33 Rebuking DemonsSupport the show at patreon.com/WWJTPlease send your ideas and feedback to the cohosts, Andrew Noble, Austin Gravley, and Joel Jacob, at whatwouldjesustech@gmail.com. Thumbnail: original image created by Colton Sturgeon on Unsplash with edits made by ChatGPT. Original Music by Abigail Neale. To learn more about What Would Jesus Tech and to support the show visit whatwouldjesustech.com

Learning and Building AI, with Daniel Manary

Doing AI Right?Daniel Manary has held various roles in AI, including CTO of PlaySpace, CTO at Kenesense.AI, Machine Learning Engineer at ProNavigator, and CTO at SimulFit Technologies, among others. He is also the host of Artificial Insights, a podcast where he interviews AI Product Leaders to seperate hype from impact.In this episode, Andrew Noble sits down with Daniel Manary, host of Artificial Insights, for a conversation that blends faith, technology, and the future. Together, they explore the hidden motivations driving AI, the ethical questions we can’t afford to ignore, and the surprising ways AI might reshape human connection. From Daniel’s inside perspective in the AI industry to a distinctly Christian vision for technology, this episode asks: can AI be built with both brilliance and a moral compass?00:00 - Intro03:05 - Dan had a dream05:00 - How you build matters11:12 - What AI future should we care about most?17:33 - Optimistic about AI? Why?20:53 - Current AI Projects and Future Directions30:00 - Wrap Things UpCheck out Dan's podcast: Artificial Insights: How To Do AI Right.Connect with Dan Manary on LinkedIn.Please send your ideas, questions, and feedback to the cohosts, Andrew Noble, Joel Jacob, and Austin Gravley, at whatwouldjesustech@gmail.com. Original Music by Abigail Neale. To learn more about What Would Jesus Tech and to support the show visit whatwouldjesustech.com

You Have a Calling, with Karen Swallow Prior

Our guest today explores what it means to be ourselves truthfully. That is, true to our calling - our true, good, and beautiful callings.In this episode of What Would Jesus Tech? we delve into the concept of vocation beyond traditional job roles with our esteemed guest, Dr. Karen Swallow Prior. An award-winning author and cultural commentator, Karen shares insights from her latest book, "You Have a Calling," exploring how vocation intertwines with truth, goodness, and beauty.We discuss the evolving nature of work, the impact of technology, and how to find purpose in a rapidly changing world.Karen Swallow Prior is an award-winning author and cultural commentator who writes at the intersection of faith, literature, and public life.Buy her book! Link to Baker Publishing Group. Link to amazon.com.00:00 - Intro02:15 - Calling as Vocation10:30 - Calling vs Passion18:45 - AI and Job Shifts Due to Tech27:00 - Integrating Truth, Goodness, and Beauty in Our Work35:20 - Addressing Modern Challenges and Anxieties in VocationKaren's Substack: https://karenswallowprior.substack.com/Thanks for listening. On behalf of me, Andrew Noble, and the rest of the team, we appreciate you taking the time to think more deeply about what it means to imitate Jesus in our technological age. You can support our podcast by sharing it with friends, writing a review, or going to our Patreon page and becoming a member. I do use Generative AI to help write the episode description and create the chapters. This last paragraph however, was written completely by me. Hence the unnecessary length, incomplete sentences, and abrupt ending.