Do Faith-Based Films Have an AI Problem?
The faith-based entertainment industry is booming. The quality of Christian films has rapidly improved, and many are finding success both at the box office and with mainstream critics. The genre now frequently boasts recognizable acting talent, and filmmakers are exploring more diverse forms of storytelling. Yet, as Bob Dylan sang, “the times they are a-changin.’” One conspicuous recent trend is leading the industry into murky territory—the enthusiastic adoption of generative AI.
As Christians, are we okay with that?
The Good, The Bad, and the Generative AI
Prime Video and Wonder Project’s hit series House of David was perhaps the first noteworthy project to integrate generative AI in a significant way. The Old Stories: Moses took things even further, with the entire miniseries relying heavily on generative AI. While Young Washington used AI more subtly, the recent film Daniel and the Fiery Furnace embraced the technology aggressively, including during a climactic scene in which an AI-generated Jesus shoots up to heaven in a beam of fire.
From major studio releases to small-scale productions (such as AI-generated Bible dramas on websites like Pray.com), it seems Christians have become captivated by AI and are increasingly willing to explore its creative potential.
Why Are Faith-Based Filmmakers Embracing AI?
Given the moral questions that have even mainstream Hollywood dragging its feet, it may seem surprising that Christian filmmakers are leading the charge in adopting AI. Though perhaps it’s not really surprising at all. For all the inspirational sound bites about “creative potential” and “artistic freedom,” the truth is that AI provides a shortcut to high-budget spectacle for films that don’t have large budgets. And if there’s one thing faith-based projects have historically lacked, it’s large budgets.
AI is allowing Christian creatives to bypass that financial obstacle and make films that would have otherwise been out of reach. But as the characters in John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress learn, tempting shortcuts don’t always lead to where we want to go.
Can AI Make Faith-Based Films Better?
The ethical dimension of the AI debate is important, but so are the artistic considerations. There are at least three primary arguments in favor of using generative AI that Christians should carefully consider (and ultimately reject).
- AI is necessary due to the budgetary restrictions Christian filmmakers face. As the kids say, making excuses is “loser behavior.” Great art has always been created within constraints. Authors have deadlines and word counts, painters have the edge of the canvas, and filmmakers have limited resources. That’s why it’s called “movie magic.” Plenty of immersive, high-spectacle films have been created on small budgets using outside-the-box creativity (watch the Light and Magic docuseries about the visual effects in Star Wars). When AI is used as a crutch, a film is already on shaky ground.
- AI creates good art. Technology is constantly improving, and the gap between real life and AI appears to be shrinking. But it still exists, and it’s jarring and immersion breaking. Christian filmmakers might be enticed by the possibility of making a sweeping epic, but the final product may be less impressive to audiences who are being transported into the uncomfortable canyons of the “uncanny valley.” Increased scope doesn’t equal elevated art. Embracing generative AI could also push films in misguided directions, making them more about spectacle than about the characters or story.
- AI is an exciting new direction. Despite the hype, AI seems to be taking cinema further down a road that most viewers are already weary of traveling. While audiences are clearly still willing to purchase movie tickets (as the success of Spider-Man: Brand New Day demonstrates), they are growing tired of films that offer spectacle but lack soul. It’s not a coincidence that recent hit films like The Odyssey and Project Hail Mary demonstrate a commitment to practical effects. In our increasingly digital world, people are hungry for something tactile and real. Unfortunately, Christian creatives seem to be willing to align with Hollywood in this respect rather than offering a refreshing counterbalance. There is enough empty spectacle in Hollywood already, and Christians shouldn’t be in a rush to create more.
What We Gain vs. What We Lose
If faith-based films don’t benefit artistically from generative AI, then it makes the potential moral drawbacks of the technology all the more glaring.
Embracing AI despite the moral implications is often justified as a “necessary evil.” The sentiment is, “Yes, lots of people will lose jobs because of it, and the technology is essentially built on plagiarism. But think of the potential missional impact of having a blockbuster Christian movie in theaters!”
Christians ought to be cautious of wielding the so-called “missional purpose” of faith-based entertainment in manipulative ways. The Bible exhorts us to be Christlike in all we do. Desirable ends don’t justify questionable means.
Embracing AI recklessly will likely damage our Christian witness, as it creates an unfavorable contrast when faith-based filmmakers are adopting morally questionable cost-cutting measures that even secular entertainment companies are hesitant to embrace. Mainstream audiences are proving much more resistant to the technology than are Christian viewers, who tend to focus more on the message than on the production side of filmmaking.
The consequences are impossible to quantify, but the overarching narrative will have a much greater impact on culture than will any specific film. Yes, audiences may enjoy watching an epic battle sequence on screen. But if choosing entertaining spectacle comes at the cost of human dignity, then we must seriously ask whether it’s a trade worth making.
Should Christians Support AI-Generated Films?
Generative AI is a complicated and divisive topic. Definitive answers are difficult to reach, but Christians shouldn’t stop asking the questions. When a mainstream Hollywood film includes even a minor touch of AI, such as in Late Night with the Devil (2023), it sparks immediate pushback. In faith-based films, the use of generative AI is not only accepted but increasingly expected.
Christians are made in the image of our Creator, and from the Garden of Eden to today, we’ve had the privilege of joining God in the sacred act of creating. Outsourcing portions of that process to AI is something we shouldn’t take lightly. For good or ill, AI already has a foothold in faith-based entertainment. As Christians, we must ask ourselves: are we okay with that?
