Hey Conscious Church Fam

From the Pope issuing a call for AI ethics, to Google putting its Gemini assistant into everything from cars to TVs, to AI tools that can read your face and predict your cancer risk—it’s wild out there. And yet, underneath it all, there’s a growing sense that discernment—not just development—is what we really need.

In today's recap:

• The Pope calls AI a defining threat to human dignity

• AI reads your face and predicts cancer outcomes

• Google’s Gemini is coming to a screen near you

• New report shows what models are rising (and falling)

• Why even the best AIs still get lost in multi-turn chats

Let’s dive in 👇

💭 Josh’s Musings

I barely use Google anymore.

My browser home screen is set to ChatGPT. So when I need answers—like how to recover from cramping up on the first stride of the parents’ race (asking for a friend…)—I just ask. And it gives me a tailored plan.

Isn’t that kind of wild?

Google has been part of our daily rhythm for decades. But that grip is loosening. AI isn’t just a new tool—it’s quietly becoming the new default.

I watched this clip recently from Sam Altman (CEO of OpenAI):
👉 Watch here

He breaks down how different generations use ChatGPT:

• Millennials: Google replacement

• Gen Z: Life advisor

• College age: Operating system

Oversimplified, sure. But I reckon many of us reading this merge all three. I know I do.

This week I had a handful of convos—with engineers, business owners, church staff, even someone unemployed—about how we’re all experimenting. There’s never been a better moment to pick something you love, lean in, and let AI shorten the learning curve.

Someone out there will pay for what you’ve learned—especially if you’ve learned it deeply.

Here’s a small way I’ve used ChatGPT this week that might spark something for you:

I was putting together a chunky website/brand audit for a client. I already had my notes and ideas, but out of curiosity, I thought, let’s ask the AI.

I uploaded a full-page screenshot, gave it some context (industry, challenges, goals, tone), and asked for suggestions. Not just general stuff, but very specific, tailored, StoryBrand-style feedback.

And it nailed some really insightful points.

If you have a website, this could be a fun experiment to try (I’ve given a Church specific example below):

👉 Use GoFullPage to screenshot your church homepage (Chrome plugin I use).
👉 Then drop this prompt into ChatGPT (tweak as needed):

Prompt:
Please review this church homepage (screenshot provided) and conduct a detailed audit using the StoryBrand framework. The goal of this site should be outward-facing, not just for the regular congregation, but primarily for people in the local community who are finding the church online for the first time and want to learn more or get connected.
Based on that, please provide:

1. First Impressions – What’s communicated visually and emotionally in the first 5 seconds?

2. What’s Working Well – Strengths in messaging, layout, visual design, or clarity.

3. Areas to Improve – Any weak spots in clarity, flow, accessibility, or user focus.

4. StoryBrand Assessment – Does it clearly position:

   • The visitor as the hero?

   • The church as a guide?

   • A clear problem and simple plan?

   • A compelling call to action?

5. Suggested Homepage Structure – A wireframe layout, designed for newcomers.

6. Suggested Copy Changes – Rewrite any weak text to feel more welcoming and clear.
   Keep the tone warm, invitational, and human. Prioritise clarity, connection, and next steps. Assume the reader is spiritually curious, possibly nervous, and unfamiliar with church.

Let me know how it turns out. Sometimes it leads to a big shift. Other times, just a few subtle tweaks. But either way, it builds fluency.

Not everyone needs to build full-on AI agents with complex workflows. For you, it might be something simple like:

• Teaching ChatGPT to write in your voice

• Creating a “board of advisors” GPT with your mentors’ values

• Organising a swirl of thoughts into something you can take action on

Little experiments like this are how we grow—not just in skill, but in confidence.

Stay Curious, Stay Conscious, Stay Wild
Josh

LATEST NEWS

🕊️ THE POPE WARNS: AI THREATENS HUMAN DIGNITY

Recap: In his first public speech, Pope Leo XIV named AI as one of the most urgent challenges humanity must face, calling on the Church to lead in defending workers and dignity.

The Details:

• The first American Pope said AI challenges “human dignity, justice, and labour.”

• He compared today’s AI disruption to the Industrial Revolution.

• His speech continues Pope Francis’ prior calls for an international AI treaty.

Conscious Take: When the leader of over a billion Catholics highlights AI as a core threat to justice and human worth—it’s time to listen. For church leaders, it’s a reminder that our role isn’t just to respond to culture but to help shape the ethical frameworks that tech will (or won’t) follow.

🧬 AI CAN NOW PREDICT CANCER FROM YOUR FACE

Recap: Researchers at Mass General Brigham have developed FaceAge—an AI that predicts a person’s biological age and cancer prognosis from a single photo.

The Details:

• Trained on tens of thousands of photos, it calculates biological vs. actual age.

• Cancer patients often appear 5 years “older” biologically.

• Survival predictions improved significantly when FaceAge data was added.

• The AI’s results correlate with known genetic ageing markers.

Conscious Take: It’s fascinating and this is one of the wonderful use cases of AI to help doctors personalise treatments more precisely than ever before.

📺 GEMINI AI IS COMING TO YOUR CAR, TV, AND WRIST

Recap: Google announced that Gemini—its flagship AI—is about to appear across Android smartwatches, cars, TVs, and upcoming XR headsets.

The Details:

• Smartwatches with Gemini will support natural voice interaction.

• Google TV integration will answer questions and recommend content.

• Android Auto adds Gemini for reading texts, finding directions, etc.

• Google’s XR headset will offer multimodal Gemini as a core feature.

Conscious Take: Unlike Apple, which still lags behind, Google’s push shows us what an “AI layer” over all our devices might look like. Kind of like how icloud (messages, emails, notes, contacts etc) syncs across all AppleOS devices seamlessly, this is how I expect Google will want to position itself and Gemini within it’s ecosystem.

📊 POE USAGE REVEALS WHICH MODELS ARE WINNING

Recap: Poe released a usage report tracking which models users actually prefer—and the results highlight major shifts.

The Details:

• GPT-4.1 and Gemini 2.5 Pro gained big traction quickly.

• Claude dropped 10% in usage as newer models surged.

• Image generation use grew, with GPT-image-1 gaining 17%.

• Kling (from China) took 30% of the video generation category.

Conscious Take: Benchmarks are one thing. Real-world use is another. And it’s changing rapidly. For churches experimenting with AI, it’s helpful to know which tools are resonating with users before locking into workflows. It does feel though that it’s just a round robin between OpenAi - Google and Anthropic (Claude).

🧠 STUDY: LLMS STRUGGLE WITH CONVERSATION

Recap: New research reveals most LLMs fail in extended conversations—especially when context is revealed gradually.

The Details:

• Single-turn accuracy: ~90%. Multi-turn? Drops to 60%.

• Models often jump to conclusions without proper info.

• Changing temperature settings didn’t improve consistency.

• Even the best models showed instability in multi-step tasks.

Conscious Take: The LLMS are evaluated on their speed and computational output etc and yet the vast majority of us are using them in a back-and-forth conversational way. Highlighting the need to put an emphasis on reliability and contextual back and forth, rather than just ‘here is the answer’ (when it might not be). Probably some lessons for us in our communications there too!

🔗 Trending Tools

• LegoGPT - Build real LEGO sets from text prompts.

• Sidejot – AI-powered to-do list prioritiser built for productivity.

• ChatPlayground AI – Compare 40+ AI models side-by-side in one place.

“...for we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” — Ephesians 2:10

Lord, thank You for the tools that make our work easier. But help us never confuse tools with our calling. May we lead with love, discern with wisdom, and create from a place of deep, Spirit-filled presence.

Stay conscious,

Josh

P.S. If you liked this then please forward it on to someone you think would enjoy it. And if someone forwarded you this and you liked it, you can sign up here.