JOCRES Volume 6 Number 3 2026

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, EDUCATION, AND RELIGION IN THE LIGHT OF GENESIS 1:26-27: IS SCIENTIFIC GROWTH AN EXPRESSION OF DOMINION?

Bulus Audu Makama, PhD
Abstract

This article investigates whether scientific and technological advancement, particularly in Artificial Intelligence (AI), should be understood as an expression of human dominion, as outlined by Genesis 1:26-27. This paper aims, narrates and examines (AI) and Educational Reform in the 21st Century for Enhanced Academic Performance through a close reading of Genesis 1:26-27 within its literary context. The main objectives are: (1) to critically examine the theological and ethical implications of AI for traditional interpretations of dominion and imago Dei, and (2) to assess how AI shapes contemporary understandings of human responsibility and stewardship. The central research question is: Does the rise of AI and scientific growth represent a faithful expression of biblical dominion, or does it risk undermining the unique responsibilities ascribed to humanity by religious texts? Terje Stordalen’s theory by Stordaelen that talks of a canonical ecology is considered in this study. Ultimately, the study argues that while AI opens new avenues for theological dialogue and societal transformation, scientific progress must not be conflated with the biblical concept of dominion. Religious texts emphasize humanity’s irreplaceable ethical and spiritual responsibilities as bearers of the divine image, responsibilities that technological achievement alone cannot fulfill. Furthermore, the research uses biblical foundation to develop an ethical framework for artificial intelligence (AI) and biotechnology. It challenges mechanistic, technocratic views of humanity, asserting that artificial entities lack genuine personhood and spiritual subjectivity. The study recommends that the ongoing engagement between AI and theology thus requires discernment in interpreting scientific growth through faith and scripture.

Keywords: Artificial Intelligence, imago Dei, dominion, religion, theology.
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