artificial intelligence – The Church of England in Parliament

Bishop of Leicester asks about combatting AI deepfakes

The Bishop of Leicester asked a question on common standards on content provenance to prevent AI generated deepfakes on 23rd June 2026, during a discussion on global governance of artificial intelligence:

The Lord Bishop of Leicester: My Lords, a deepfake or AI-generated social media post manufactured in one country can inflame communities in another country within hours. Ahead of the UN global dialogue in Geneva next month, can the Minister give us a reassurance that the Government are pressing international partners for common standards on content provenance and authentication, so that citizens can tell what is real from what is synthetic and deliberately sown to divide communities?

Bishop of Portsmouth raises impact on education and young people during debate on AI

The Bishop of Portsmouth spoke in the Archbishop of Canterbury’s debate on the effects of AI on society on 5th June 2026, nothing the impact of AI on education, children, and young people:

The Lord Bishop of Portsmouth: My Lords, I welcome this debate and congratulate my most reverend friend on initiating such a profoundly helpful and timely discussion. I wish to add a few reflections in my capacity as the Church of England’s lead bishop for education and the chair of the National Society for Education, which serves more than 1 million of our country’s young people and supports Church schools, MATs, and further and higher education institutions countrywide.

In responding to AI within the space of education— it is nothing short of a fourth education revolution, as Sir Anthony Seldon has argued so powerfully— we will need to act with purposeful and collective determination. We will need to build strong alliances and, at every point, own our own agency in shaping the impacts of AI on a generation of children and young people.

Bishop of Leicester highlights importance of trust in communities during debate on AI

The Bishop of Leicester took part in the Archbishop of Canterbury’s debate on AI and society on 5th June 2026, highlighting the importance of trust in communities and the pitfalls of algorithmic content

The Lord Bishop of Leicester: My Lords, in the past, if you wanted to persuade people to think badly of others, you were limited by two things: the number of people you personally knew and the number of conversations you could physically have. Social media removed the second of those limits, letting one person reach millions at once. Artificial intelligence is now loosening the first. It allows one person to produce vast quantities of content of increasingly high quality. The frictions that once limited the spread of contempt have disappeared. We should not, then, be surprised that the fabric of our society is being torn.

For society to function, we need a broadly common understanding of the world and what is happening in it. Democracy is about disagreements over what to do about the opportunities and challenges we face, but for that disagreement to be constructive, we must all be able to access the bare facts: what is happening, who is involved and who is affected? Generative AI throws all this into question. Anyone, anywhere can now produce an image of an event that has never occurred or a video of a public figure saying something they never said. I really do mean anyone, anywhere. The BBC recently reported that accounts producing AI-generated anti-immigration content that appeared to be British were in fact run from east Asia, the Gulf and the United States.

Bishop of Oxford takes part in debate on role of AI in society

The Bishop of Oxford spoke in the Archbishop of Canterbury’s debate on AI and society, raising the impact of AI adoption in the workplace and the need for meaningful employment pathways for UK workers:

The Lord Bishop of Oxford: My Lords, it is a real pleasure to take part in the debate and particularly to follow the noble Lord, Lord Tarassenko, with his wisdom and great knowledge of the field.

Humanity stands at a real crossroads in the present moment. Artificial intelligence brings many potential benefits, as the most reverend Primate the Archbishop of Canterbury said, but also great jeopardy for the world. The Prophet Jeremiah invites the people of his generation facing crisis to:

“Stand at the crossroads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way lies; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls”.

Archbishop of Canterbury leads debate on impact of AI on human relationships

The Archbishop of Canterbury led a debate on the role and impact of artificial intelligence on society and human relationships on 5th June 2026:

The Lord Archbishop of Canterbury: My Lords, I wish to thank the usual channels for allowing me to hold this debate today and the parliamentary staff who have enabled it to happen.

In the Bible, the writer of the Book of Hebrews says of human beings:

“You made them a little lower than the angels; you crowned them with glory and honour and put everything under their feet”.

God created human beings in His own image, with glory and honour—each and every one of us, regardless of who we are or what we do. We carry an inherent dignity and immeasurable value. This is not in spite of our weakness, vulnerabilities or limitations but in many ways because of and through them. God made us to be relational beings, in need of Him and in need of others, not sufficient on our own.

Bishop of Hereford takes part in debate on regulation of artificial intelligence

The Bishop of Hereford spoke in a Grand Committee debate on the possibility of a cross-sector AI regulation bill on 4th June 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Hereford: I too congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Holmes, on securing this debate. Given the pace of AI development, it could not be more timely. As Pope Leo said in his recent encyclical:

“Each generation inherits the task of shaping its own era, of guiding history to become a place where the dignity of every person is safeguarded, justice is promoted and fraternity is made possible”.

Bishop of Hereford asks about impact of AI on jobs

The Bishop of Hereford asked a question on impact of AI in the job market on 4th June 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Hereford: My Lords, I want to ask the Minister about the issue of AI in this context. I speak with some personal experience, in that my son’s partner has recently been made redundant as the result of an AI system that she herself developed. It is inevitable that AI systems will grow, unchecked and unregulated, and will continue to reduce entry-level jobs across a range of sectors. What projections have the Government made of this, and what action do they plan to take to ensure that a healthy entry-level job market will remain for young people?

King’s Speech Debate: Bishop of Oxford speaks on the risks of artificial intelligence

The Bishop of Oxford spoke on the issue of artificial intelligence during the King’s Speech debate on 19th May 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Oxford: My Lords, it is always a pleasure to follow the noble Baroness, Lady Kidron. I look forward to the maiden speeches to come.

In the words of the King’s Speech,

“an increasingly dangerous and volatile world threatens the United Kingdom”.

The Government will respond “with strength” and in line with

“the British values of decency, tolerance and respect”.

Not all threats are visible, though all need an intentional response.

Crime and Policing Bill: Bishop of Oxford supports amendments on tech safety

The Bishop of Oxford spoke in support of amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill tabled by Baroness Kidron on regulation of chatbots and the need for safety infrastructure in technology:

The Lord Bishop of Oxford: My Lords, I also support the amendments in the name of the noble Baroness, Lady Kidron, and others, and thank them all most warmly. They seem to me appropriately comprehensive and detailed. I have been following the developments in chatbots for a year now: they are massive, they are rapid, they are driven by the pursuit of profit and shareholder value, and not by the welfare of individuals, whether adults or children. There is a tsunami of harm coming towards us, affecting not only the most vulnerable but the whole of our society. We urgently need this kind of regulation and risk assessment for chatbots.

Bishop of Oxford asks about ensuring value of humanity in the world of work

The Bishop of Oxford asked a question on ensuring humanity is centred within the world of work during a discussion on the impact of artificial intelligence on the labour market on 25th February 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Oxford: My Lords, I welcome the new institute, the announcement and the individuals involved. I want to ask a question about the values that the Government will take forward in thinking about this area. What practical steps are they taking to ensure that humanity is at the centre of people’s experience of work, that we are not working for algorithms, and that work is at the centre of humanity and society?

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