Notre Dame to host summit on AI, faith and human flourishing, introducing new DELTA framework

Artificial intelligence is advancing at a breakneck pace, as governments and industries commit resources to its development at a scale not seen since the Space Race. These technologies have the potential to disrupt every aspect of life, including education, the economy, labor and human relationships.

“As a leading global Catholic research university, Notre Dame is uniquely positioned to help the world confront and understand AI’s benefits and risks to human flourishing,” said John T. McGreevy, the Charles and Jill Fischer Provost. “Technology ethics is a key priority for Notre Dame, and we are fully committed to bringing the wisdom of the global Church to bear on this critical theme.”

In support of this work, the Institute for Ethics and the Common Good and the Notre Dame Ethics Initiative will host the Notre Dame Summit on AI, Faith and Human Flourishing on the University’s campus from Monday, Sept. 22 through Thursday, Sept. 25. This event will draw together a dynamic, ecumenical group of educators, faith leaders, technologists, journalists, policymakers and young people who believe in the enduring relevance of Christian ethical thought in a world of powerful AI.

“As artificial intelligence becomes more powerful, the ‘ethical floor’ of safety, privacy and transparency is simply not enough,” said Meghan Sullivan, the Wilsey Family College Professor of Philosophy and the director of the Institute for Ethics and the Common Good and the Notre Dame Ethics Initiative. “This moment in time demands a response rooted in the Christian tradition — a richer, more holistic perspective that recognizes the nature of the human person as a spiritual, emotional, moral and physical being.”

Sullivan noted that a unified, faith-based response to AI is a priority of newly elected Pope Leo XIV, who has spoken publicly about the new challenges to human dignity, justice and labor posed by these technologies.

The summit will begin at 5:15 p.m. Monday with an opening Mass at the University’s Basilica of the Sacred Heart. His Eminence Cardinal Christophe Pierre, Apostolic Nuncio to the United States, will serve as primary celebrant and homilist with University President Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C., as concelebrant. All members of the campus community are invited to attend this opening Mass.

Summit speakers include Andy Crouch, Praxis; Alex Hartemink, Duke University; Molly Kinder, Brookings Institution; Andrew Schuman, Veritas Forum; Anne Snyder, Comment Magazine and Elizabeth Dias, The New York Times. Over the course of the summit, attendees will take part in use case workshops, panels and community of practice sessions focused on public engagement, ministry and education. Executives from Google, Microsoft, Apple and many other organizations are among the 200 invited guests who will attend.

At the summit, Notre Dame will launch DELTA, a new framework for guiding conversations about AI. DELTA — an acronym that stands for Dignity, Embodiment, Love, Transcendence and Agency — will serve as a practical resource across sectors that are experiencing disruption from AI, including homes, schools, churches and workplaces, while also providing a platform for credible, principled voices to promote moral clarity and human dignity in the face of advancing technology.

“Our goal is for DELTA to become a common lens through which to engage AI — a language that reflects the depth of the Christian tradition while remaining accessible to people of all faiths,” Sullivan said. “By bringing together this remarkable group of leaders here at Notre Dame, we’re launching a community that will work passionately to create — as the Vatican puts it — ‘a growth in human responsibility, values and conscience that is proportionate to the advances posed by technology.’”

Although the summit sessions are by invitation only, Sullivan’s keynote on DELTA will be livestreamed. Those interested are invited to view the livestream and learn more about DELTA at https://ethics.nd.edu/summit-livestream at 8:30 a.m. EST on Tuesday, Sept. 23.

The Notre Dame Summit on AI, Faith and Human Flourishing is supported with a grant provided by Lilly Endowment Inc.

Lilly Endowment Inc. is a private foundation created in 1937 by J.K. Lilly Sr. and his sons Eli and J.K. Jr. through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly and Company. While those gifts remain the financial bedrock of the Endowment, it is a separate entity from the company, with a distinct governing board, staff and location. In keeping with the founders’ wishes, the Endowment supports the causes of community development, education and religion and maintains a special commitment to its hometown, Indianapolis, and home state, Indiana. A principal aim of the Endowment’s religion grantmaking is to deepen and enrich the lives of Christians in the United States, primarily by seeking out and supporting efforts that enhance the vitality of congregations and strengthen the pastoral and lay leadership of Christian communities. The Endowment also seeks to improve public understanding of religious traditions in the United States and across the globe.

Contact: Carrie Gates, associate director of media relations, 574-993-9220, c.gates@nd.edu