North American Unitarian Association

AI (as large language models) is becoming increasingly woven into our daily lives. Our thoughts, longings, and our ways of making meaning are changing, with new questions arising around what it means to be human and to engage in “spiritual” matters. What trends are surfacing as our tools can seem to listen better than friends, comfort us, or provide us with both a sense of security and a sense of wonder? We’ll explore how generative AI’s unique and complex ways of reflecting back to us invite new takes on old desires for meaning, certainty, and purpose.

Our speaker, Mari Budlong is a mother of four, sister to four, a veteran, coach, and multi-faceted human who believes our humanity is worth tending as we grow alongside our quickly evolving technology. With a deep concern for the relational and ecological impacts of our choices — digital and otherwise — she brings heart, humor, and wonder to conversations where bot meets soul.