Date: March 16, 2026
The AI and Authorship Conference proved to be an important and lively conversation about one of the most pressing issues facing education and scholarship today. Participants explored the many ways artificial intelligence is already shaping academic and professional work, and it became clear that there is no single way people are approaching these tools. The discussion revealed both the opportunities and the concerns that arise as AI becomes a regular presence in intellectual life.
Some participants described using AI as a kind of conversation partner—a colleague with whom one can test ideas, clarify arguments, and explore different possibilities. Others saw AI primarily as a tool, closer to an elaborate calculator or a sophisticated spell checker that improves productivity without fundamentally changing authorship. At the same time, several participants believed that certain uses should be clearly prohibited; for example, some supported Pope Leo’s injunction that clergy should not use AI to create sermons, while others felt that using AI for proofreading or grammar checking was entirely appropriate.
There was also discussion about transparency and acknowledgment. Some participants argued that all use of AI should be clearly acknowledged, while others suggested that when AI functions simply as a tool, formal acknowledgment may not be necessary. The results of the conference are still emerging as we continue to reflect on the case studies and conversations, but I am deeply grateful to all who participated and helped move this important discussion forward.
The Very Rev. Ian S. Markham, Ph.D.
Dean and President of Virginia Theological Seminary and the President of The General Theological Seminary.Â