Missional AI Podcast

Missional AI
  • 4.5 (2)
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Join hosts Joshua Seale and James Poulter weekly as they explore the intersection of mission work and AI. Featuring exclusive interviews with innovators using artificial intelligence to expand global impact, this podcast brings you insights from the frontlines of the Missional AI community. Discover how AI is transforming outreach with thought-provoking conversations and practical applications. Where faith and technology converge to create new possibilities for mission work in the digital age.

  1. MAR 19

    Season 1, Episode 29: Is Responsible AI the Brake or the Engine of Innovation?

    What if responsible AI isn't a brake on innovation — but the engine that drives it? In this episode, Joshua Seale sits down with Maria Luciana Axente, founder of Responsible Intelligence and one of Europe's foremost voices on AI governance. With a decade of experience advising organizations like UNICEF and NATO, Maria brings rare clarity to a conversation the faith community desperately needs to have. Maria reframes the entire AI debate: the challenge ahead isn't primarily technical — it's a human adaptation problem. How do we thrive in a world where machines outperform us on cognitive tasks? And what does common-sense Christian faith have to offer a world racing to figure out AI? In this conversation you'll hear why responsible AI frameworks actually accelerate innovation, what Jensen Huang's two-sided view of AGI means for the rest of us, and why Maria believes the faith community's greatest contribution to this moment might simply be prayer and common sense. This episode was recorded at the Global Missional AI Summit 2025. The Global Missional AI Summit 2026 is happening April 7–9 in Santa Clara, California. Visit missional.ai to register before it sells out. This episode is brought to you in partnership with Gloo — the technology platform for the faith ecosystem. Visit gloo.com to learn more.

    20 min

  2. MAR 11

    S01E29 | Missional AI 2026 Global Summit: Everything You Need to Know

    The Missional AI 2026 Global Summit is almost here. In this episode, host James Poulter is joined by Joshua Seale (Senior Director of Digital Products, Biblica) and Yvonne Carlson (CTO, Global Media Outreach) to give you the full inside track on what's coming in Silicon Valley this April. They unpack why the community is making the move to the epicenter of global AI innovation, walk through the brand-new day-by-day conference structure, and share what it means to gather nearly a thousand Christian leaders around the theme of advancing redemptive technology for human flourishing and the mission of God. You'll hear about keynote speakers including Pat Gelsinger, Bobby Grunewald of YouVersion, Wendy Lord from The Chosen, and Dr. John Lennox — plus why this year's format has been redesigned to create more space for the real conversations and connections that make this community so special. Joshua and Yvonne also share honest, practical advice for getting the most out of three intense days, whether you're a returning attendee or joining for the very first time. If you haven't grabbed your ticket yet, head to https://missional.ai/https://missional.ai/— and if this episode lands in your feed and you're not yet subscribed, now's a great time to follow the show.

    34 min
  3. Season 1, Episode 27: Vibe Coding for Mission: Building AI Tools on a Flight with Don Barger of IMB

    MAR 5

    Season 1, Episode 27: Vibe Coding for Mission: Building AI Tools on a Flight with Don Barger of IMB

    What if you could go from idea to working prototype on a single flight — no developer, no team, no budget? For Dr. Don Barger, that's just a normal Tuesday. Don is the Director of Innovation and AI at the International Mission Board, one of the largest evangelical mission organizations in the world. With 27 years of mission experience across Peru, the Dominican Republic, Mexico and beyond, he joins Missional AI Podcast host James Poulter for a candid conversation about what's actually possible when you pair agentic AI with a problem-solving mindset. They get into the real tools Don uses daily — Claude Code, VS Code, Ollama, and local AI models — and why running AI locally is a game-changer for secure mission work. Don also shares how he built a full-stack website mid-flight, prototyped a missional video game over the Pacific, and is using multilingual chatbots to scale gospel conversations around the world. This is a must-watch episode, but great listening too. Find Don at faithbot.tools and donbarger.substack.com, and join the Missional AI community at missional.ai. The Global Missional AI Summit 2026 is happening in Silicon Valley, April 7–9. We'd love to see you there.

    59 min

  4. FEB 27

    Season 1 Episode 26: AGI Is 5-10 Years Away — Is the Church Ready? | Dr. Richard Susskind

    Dr. Richard Susskind has spent four decades studying the social, legal, and ethical implications of emerging technology — and he's sounding the alarm. In this episode, we sit down with Richard to explore why leading AI researchers now believe AGI is just five to ten years away, what that means for society and the church, and why the window to act is now. From the problem of AI control to the need for international diplomacy and deeper public discourse, this conversation is essential listening for anyone serious about navigating the future with wisdom and conviction. "Saving humanity with and from AI is the defining challenge of our age."

    14 min

  5. FEB 12

    Season 1, Episode 25: "This AI Moment Is a Gospel Moment" — Conversation with Yvonne Carlson

    What if the greatest barrier to sharing the gospel — language — was suddenly no longer an issue? In this episode, we sit down with Yvonne Carlson, Chief Technology Officer at Global Media Outreach and board member of Faith Tech, about how AI is reshaping digital evangelism and discipleship. Yvonne shares how GMO is deploying chatbot technology and AI-powered messaging assistants to connect seekers with online missionaries at scale. She unpacks how translation breakthroughs mean mission organizations are no longer limited by the languages on their team, why the cultural context still matters, and what the "message assistant" co-pilot for online missionaries looks like in practice. As Yvonne puts it: "This AI moment is a gospel moment." For builders and ministry leaders alike, the opportunities have never been greater. Topics covered: AI chatbots for digital evangelism, the message assistant co-pilot, language barriers and cultural localization, how builders can steward this moment, and why partnership across the faith-tech space matters more than ever. The Global Missional AI Summit 2026 is happening April 7-9 in Silicon Valley. Early bird pricing is available through March 10 at missional.ai. This episode is sponsored by Gloo, the technology platform for the faith ecosystem. Learn more at gloo.com.

    12 min

  6. FEB 3

    Season 1, Episode 24: The Biggest Barrier to Innovation Isn't Technology — It's Fear

    Alfred Biehler spent 13 years at Google London, finishing as Head of Innovation — a title he created for himself and simply used until it stuck. But his most powerful innovation habit had nothing to do with tech: before advising any organization, he'd ask God what He wanted to say to them. In this episode, Alfred and the Missional AI team explore why the church is scared of AI when it should be energized by it, how this technology can accelerate mission work in ways both obvious and surprising, and why the single biggest obstacle to innovation — in any organization — is a spirit of fear. Grounded in 2 Timothy 1:7, it's a conversation about what happens when we build from courage instead.

    13 min

  7. JAN 26

    Season 1, Episode 22: Scripture for the Last Mile: Reaching the Unreached with Simple Tools

    What if the most powerful innovation isn't about bleeding-edge technology, but about using what you already have in new and strategic ways? In this episode recorded live at CV Global Digital Day in London, Joshua Seale shares Biblica's remarkable journey of digital Bible distribution—230 apps, 7 million users, half a billion Scripture engagements, and zero lines of code written by their team. But here's the real story: While 95% of all digital Scripture engagement happens in just five languages, Joshua and his team made a different choice. They focused on the last mile—the underrepresented languages where massive populations had almost no access to digital Scripture. In this episode, you'll discover: How a $2,000 experiment became a movement reaching millionsThe Ukrainian Bible app built in one day that reached 1 million users in 200 days during the warWhy digital distribution costs $0.17 vs. $12 for printed Bibles in restricted areasHow open licensing and Creative Commons unlocked exponential kingdom impactThe AI chatbot serving emerging world pastors who lack formal theological trainingWhy persistence beats perfection in innovation workThe breakthrough result: In the 20 most underrepresented languages, Biblica saw 10,000% more users than major platforms by taking a laser-focused approach on the underserved. Key Quote: "God can use the things that you have right now. Innovation isn't easy, but persistence beats perfection. What could you do with what you already have?" This is a masterclass in strategic innovation that prioritizes kingdom impact over technological sophistication.

    22 min

  8. JAN 20

    Season 1, Episode 22: The Ethics of AI: Could We, Should We, Would We? with James Poulter

    In this thought-provoking episode recorded live at CV Global Digital Day in London, James Poulter challenges us to move beyond asking "What is AI?" to wrestling with the more critical questions: How should we use it, and why? As we stand at the threshold of agentic AI—where artificial intelligence doesn't just respond but actually does the work for us—James explores the profound ethical implications for the church and kingdom work. With over a billion people now using ChatGPT daily and predictions of AI superintelligence by 2027, the future is arriving faster than most of us realize. In this episode, you'll discover: Why AI is fundamentally different from other tools (it's grown, not built)The hidden "system prompts" shaping how AI models interpret reality—including religious textsThe dangerous "trust transfer" phenomenon and why it mattersHow the church can lead in establishing ethical frameworks for AI usePractical resources including the Missional AI Community Christian AI PrinciplesJames doesn't shy away from the hard questions—from job displacement and surveillance to the possibility of AI sentience and rights. But rather than fear, he calls us to be the best users of this technology, aligned with Scripture and kingdom values. Key Quote: "We need to use it with caution. We need to use it aligned to scripture and ethics. And we need to know what we're trusting and more importantly, whom we are trusting, because these things are being grown, not made."

    23 min
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About

Join hosts Joshua Seale and James Poulter weekly as they explore the intersection of mission work and AI. Featuring exclusive interviews with innovators using artificial intelligence to expand global impact, this podcast brings you insights from the frontlines of the Missional AI community. Discover how AI is transforming outreach with thought-provoking conversations and practical applications. Where faith and technology converge to create new possibilities for mission work in the digital age.

Information

  • Creator
    Missional AI
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    30
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Missional AI
  • Show Website
    Missional AI Podcast

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