AIOCS Conversations: Efthymios Nicolaidis (2) |

On 24 March 2023, Doru Costache interviewed Efthymios Nicolaidis on the topic of Orthodox Christian attitudes to artificial intelligence (AI). Nicolaidis and Costache are currently approaching the end of a funded project, “Contemporary Orthodox Christian Views of Artificial Intelligence in ‘Cradle’ and ‘Diaspora’ Communities” (INSBS Collaboration Fund Collab/01/106). The project runs at the Institute of Historical Research of the National Hellenic Research Foundation (Athens) and AIOCS, from October 2022 to May 2023.

The conversation occasioned updates on the progress of the project and various findings of the two researchers. The topic has wide ramifications, from the broader Orthodox view of technological advancement and overall lack of sound information, to the realisation of a tension between ecclesiastical and theological authorities, whose reactions are usually slow (for historical reasons discussed here), and the pastoral needs of grassroots Christians, who are in need of guidelines. The latter issue represents an emergency given the conspiracy theories that are rife in the wastelands of internet “apologetics.”

Here is the video recording of this conversation: