Interfaith Alliance for Safer Communities Convenes First Faith–AI Covenant Roundtable in New York
Participants of the inaugural Faith–AI Covenant roundtable in New York, convened by the Interfaith Alliance for Safer Communities in partnership with Precognition.
This convening comes at a moment of critical historical significance. Faith traditions have long helped humanity interpret the world, define moral boundaries and shape the values by which societies live. Artificial intelligence is now beginning to influence that same terrain, changing how people access knowledge, form judgements and seek guidance, making it essential that faith perspectives engage in constructive dialogue, facilitating efforts to embed critical principles within these systems. The Faith–AI Covenant reflects a rare opportunity to bring these two forces into direct conversation: one rooted in centuries of moral and spiritual authority, the other rapidly emerging as a defining force in human affairs.
The New York convening marks an early step in a broader international process designed to ensure that, as AI becomes more embedded in daily life, technical innovation is brought into closer conversation with human dignity and shared responsibility. Developed as a constructive and globally minded initiative, the Faith–AI Covenant aims to create and open and productive dialogue between those building advanced technologies and faith leaders with longstanding moral and civic ties. Beyond New York, through 2026, the Covenant’s journey will bring together senior figures in six more cities across six continents: Beijing, Bengaluru, Nairobi, Paris and Singapore, with the final convening taking place in Abu Dhabi.
Participants in the inaugural roundtable included voices from leading AI and technology organizations, major faith institutions, civil society, and academia. These included participants from OpenAI, Anthropic, the Baha’i International Community, The Sikh Coalition, the Archdiocese of Newark, the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, the New York Board of Rabbis, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Masjid Muhammad, the Hindu Temple Society of North America, Won Buddhism of Manhattan, the World Council of Churches, the United Church of Christ, Vanguard University, the Civilisation Research Institute, ROOST, the Buddhism and AI Initiative, and the Center for Humane Technology, alongside other invited participants.
Held as a closed-door discussion, the roundtable was designed to surface practical solutions around AI’s impact on human life, the shared responsibilities of builders and institutions, and the principles that may be needed to help shape a more values-led approach to technological progress. Insights from New York are expected to inform the next stages of the wider roundtable series as the initiative develops across additional international hubs.
Dana Humaid, Chief Executive of the IAFSC, said: “Artificial intelligence is beginning to shape not only how people access information, but how they seek guidance, reassurance and understanding. That makes this a profoundly human question, not only a technical one. The UAE has embraced technological advancement with ambition, while recognising that innovation must remain grounded in human dignity, faith and spiritual leadership. The Faith–AI Covenant has been designed to create a credible space for dialogue between those building these systems and those entrusted with moral, civic and community responsibility across societies. The New York roundtable was an important first step in that effort, and reflected the value of bringing these perspectives together early, seriously and with a shared sense of responsibility.”
The initiative is guided by an Advisory Steering Group chaired by Baroness Joanna Shields OBE, with a focus on ensuring that the conversation remains rigorous, practical and attentive to safety, trust and implementation.
Baroness Joanna Shields OBE said: "The Faith–AI Covenant is built on the conviction that technical progress and moral wisdom are not in tension — they are essential to each other. Faith leaders carry the accumulated wisdom of millennia about human dignity, conscience and the purpose and meaning of human life. Those building AI understand better than anyone what is being created and the vast potential of its progress. When those two forms of understanding are in genuine dialogue, the result is AI that is more responsible, more trusted, and more genuinely beneficial to humanity. New York was the beginning of that conversation, and what I witnessed in that room gave me real confidence that both communities are committed to that alignment."
Rabbi Diana S. Gerson, Associate Executive Vice President of the New York Board of Rabbis stated “At a defining moment in human history, the Faith-AI Covenant unites moral and technological leadership to ensure innovation serves human dignity, unlocking its potential to advance peace, deepen understanding, and build more cohesive societies.”
The Faith–AI Covenant roundtables form part of a wider international process intended to gather perspectives from different cultures, traditions and technology communities. The initiative is expected to continue through additional global convenings, with insights from each roundtable helping to shape the broader direction of the Covenant ahead of a concluding summit in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The summit is intended to bring together the outcomes of the wider dialogue process and support the next phase of the initiative’s development. The UAE’s role in hosting the concluding summit in Abu Dhabi reflects its wider commitment to convening serious international dialogue on the responsible development of emerging technologies.
The IAFSC was established to empower faith leaders to work for the safety and security of our communities, tackling issues such as child sexual abuse, extremism, radicalization and human trafficking. The IAFSC aims to facilitate the building of bridges between key stakeholders including faith communities, NGOs and experts in various domains. The IAFSC is conscious of the importance of empowering faith leaders, both at the institutional and grass-root levels, with knowledge, and to mobilize them to play a more active role in community safety.
The Faith–AI Covenant is a global initiative of the Interfaith Alliance for Safer Communities, delivered in partnership with Precognition. It brings together senior AI builders, innovators, faith leaders and other stakeholders in structured dialogue on the values and principles that should help guide the future of artificial intelligence. Through a series of international roundtables, the initiative aims to support a more human, responsible and globally informed conversation about the development and deployment of AI.
The Faith-AI Covenant
The Interfaith Alliance For Safer Communities
info@iafsc.org
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