Alan Turing once said, “Machines take me by surprise with great frequency.” In this emerging age of agentic AI, many of us feel exactly that—surprised, sometimes awed, and increasingly aware of the urgent need to shape this technology with care. AI is moving fast. Faster than legislation, faster than consensus, faster than many of our ethical frameworks can adapt. So what do we do about that?

At Gloo, we believe the right question isn’t just what can we build, but what should we build—and why. This isn’t just about innovation; it’s about imagination. It’s about moving past the old tech mantra of “don’t be evil” and asking how we might instead build systems that move us closer to “on earth as it is in heaven.”

That’s why we were so excited to partner with Christians in Tech this week at NY Tech Week for a special event on AI, faith, and the future. More than 150 technologists, creatives, and entrepreneurs gathered in midtown Manhattan—not just to talk about the future, but to take responsibility for it.

This wasn’t your average AI panel at a tech conference. We absolutely talked about multimodal models, possibilities with agentic systems, synthetic data for training, and the role of open source. But the hunger for a deeper conversation was palpable.

Here’s what really resonated with us:

• A Community of Influence: The room wasn’t just full—it was full of people who build. We met developers, designers, and data scientists, but also founders, CEOs, attorneys, venture leaders, and artists. It was a rare and refreshing mix of technical fluency and Christians deeply desiring to understand their vocation in this space.

• Co-creation Drives Innovation: We’re made in God’s image—and that means we’re made to create. But not everything we create is good. One of the most powerful themes of the night was the importance of discernment: learning to recognize what’s from God, what’s from the tool, and what’s simply from our own limited perspective.

• Unintended Consequences Matter: Especially when it comes to vulnerable communities—like children. Several participants raised critical concerns about privacy, manipulation, and the long-term effects of AI on identity, formation, and truth. These aren’t future problems. They’re already here.

• The Church Must Be Present—Not Peripheral: Christians in tech aren’t called to build from the sidelines. We were reminded that the gospel calls us to do business until the Father returns (Luke 19:13)—which means being active participants in shaping the systems that define modern life. We can’t settle for subcultures or isolation. The Church must be at the center of innovation, not the outskirts.

• It All Starts with Vision: Before we build anything, we need a dream. A dream for a future where technology amplifies dignity, increases justice, and expands human flourishing. That dream must guide what we fund, what we prioritize, and what we say no to.

We’re still in the first inning of AI. The foundations are still being laid, and the playbook isn’t written yet. That’s good news—it means we all have a role to play. Whether you’re a founder, a pastor, or a product manager, this is the moment to step in to learn, to lead, to imagine.

Share Your Gathering

If you are organizing a gathering like this, that is happening soon, would you let us know? We’d love to hear about it. You can submit it here and we will add it to FaithStack, an emerging hub that we are building focused on missional innovation. We want to help innovators find each other, share ideas, and build tools that serve people and glorify God.

Written by Ali Llewellyn and Alex Cook