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We love to hear how the Urantia Papers find themselves into the lifes of receptive sisters and brothers. Jack Miller's story is so remarkable that we do not dare to restate it. So read for yourself.
Jack responded to Gary Tonge's article in the Mini Messenger the week after it was published. This is therefore the second Article in this series.
Jack is responding to Gary Tonge's article.
 

'AI' As a Study Companion

Gary, thank you for your heartfelt and thoughtful reflections. You have raised crucial concerns about the role of artificial intelligence in our spiritual lives, especially when it comes to the sacred responsibility of engaging with The Urantia Book. I agree wholeheartedly with your central point: no machine can replace the God-given gifts of personality, critical thinking, or spiritual insight. Yet I also believe that when approached wisely,  AI can serve as a tool of engagement and expansion, much like a study companion, but never a substitute for personal effort, yet still a support for deeper learning.

Different Way Of Learning

You reminded us of the dangers of shortcuts, and rightly so. History and revelation both warn against the seductive path of ease without effort. But I would also suggest that there are different ways of learning that are not shortcuts but simply alternative approaches. Reading The Urantia Book alone is only one kind of learning. Joining a study group is another, where questions are asked, dialogue is sparked, and new viewpoints arise. Neither invalidates the other. Both are pathways that can help expand understanding. Engaging with AI can be something akin to this. It is not a replacement for solitary study or the communal depth of a live group, but it can serve as an adjunct, a dialogue partner available at any time. Properly used, it is less like a “shiny toy” and more like a mentor always at one’s side. One that doesn’t tire, doesn’t judge, and never grows impatient with what might otherwise seem like repetitive or even “dumb” questions.

The Mentor at Our Call

In many ways, AI can function as a “beacon-call mentor.” Consider the countless new readers who, upon opening The Urantia Book, feel overwhelmed. The terminology is complex, the cosmology vast, and the philosophy profound. In such cases, being able to ask clarifying questions in real time can make the difference between closing the book in frustration or continuing onward in curiosity. Of course, discernment is vital. AI is not a perfect teacher, it must be fact-checked, guided, and tested against revelation itself. But so must our human teachers. Even seasoned students, as you shared in your story with Derek Grimm, can interpret wrongly or allow distortions to creep in. In this sense, AI is not introducing a new problem but mirroring an old one: the need for vigilance, fact-checking, and seeking balance in truth.

Opening Vistas and Viewpoints

You quoted Paper 101:4.6 on revelation’s purpose, “the reduction of confusion by the authoritative elimination of error.” That is true. But revelation also serves to expand vision, to widen horizons, and to inspire us to think in ways we could not have on our own. Engagement, whether with a living teacher, a study group, or even a carefully used AI assistant, can open vistas of expanded viewpoints.

Often when I interact with AI, I find myself not replacing my thoughts but expanding them. It prompts me to return to the text, to compare passages, to refine my understanding. It nudges me toward connections I might not have made otherwise. I often find it to be an excellent way to research a subject and receive slightly differing viewpoints.

The Dangers Are Real But So Are the Opportunities

Caution is not only prudent, but also essential. Artificial intelligence can sparkle with the appearance of insight, yet behind the polish may lie distortions, oversimplifications, or subtle mis-directions. In the realm of spiritual study, even the smallest shift in meaning can open wide gulfs of misunderstanding. AI is best regarded as a companion for exploration, helpful in prompting questions and widening viewpoints, but never as an authority.

Revelation is not a product of human invention, yet even revelation is subject to the limits of interpretation. Throughout history, what was intended to uplift has sometimes been misread, distorted, or bound by the cultural lenses of its time. That is why every revelation, no matter how profound, must be approached with thoughtful analysis and a spirit of discernment. Many of us believe The Urantia Book to be a true revelation, and yet we must always remember it is not the unmediated voice of God. It came to us through the service of personalities, beings with identity and free will, who though faithful, still transmit truth within the framework of their assignments and understandings. Revelation, then, is best understood as a gift meant to guide our growth rather than replace our responsibility to seek, to question, and to discern.

Yet I would also ask: is it not possible that, with wise stewardship, AI could help guard against the very erosion of critical thinking you fear? Imagine a student who asks a vague or unclear question. AI, if guided properly, might respond not with a single answer but with multiple perspectives, prompting the student to weigh, compare, and discern. That process itself can foster the very critical thinking skills we so need on this confused world.

No Substitute for Struggle

You are right: the joy of personal creation and the dignity of effort are irreplaceable. No tool can climb the ladder of spiritual progress for us. But as you noted in your analogy of salt in a recipe, tools can add savor when used properly. A hammer cannot build the ladder alone, but it can help us drive the nails. AI cannot pray for us, wrestle with truth for us, or love God for us, but it can help us check facts, expand our vocabulary of thought, and frame questions that deepen our reflection.

Standing in Rock, Walking with Tools

Ultimately, we must stand, as you say, upon the “eternal rocks of Reality.” God is the source of truth, goodness, and beauty, not machines. But humanity has always used tools, from fire to printing presses to the internet, in efforts to expand its reach. AI is simply the latest tool. Like all tools, it can be abused, or it can be consecrated to service.

The choice is not between rejecting AI outright or surrendering our thoughts to it. The choice is in how we use it. If we consecrate it to the Father’s purposes, employ it with vigilance, and never confuse it with the living voice of truth, then perhaps it can help us in the same way study groups help, by widening our field of vision, by sparking new questions, and by reminding us that the search for truth is a shared journey.

Conclusion

So yes, Gary, we must never let AI replace our God-given gifts. No machine can know us, love us, or carry us forward into eternity. But engagement, when properly guided, can open vast new viewpoints, much as a study group does for a solitary reader. If we use AI to fact-check, to gain clarity, and to broaden our perspectives, it can serve as a mentor at our beckoning call, helping us refine our understanding while never replacing the effort, struggle, and joy of true spiritual growth. The path of progress is not easy, nor should it be. But perhaps, with care, AI can help light the way, not as the source of truth, but as one more tool that supports our quest to know the God who is Truth.

Jack Miller
Wisdom Accelerators

Acknowledgment: This article, and the ones soon to follow, where published The Urantia Fellowship's weekly eMail newsletter Mini Messenger. The original pdf file is here and was first published Aug. 28, 2025. From that link you might also find other newsletter you find interesting, as they also contain some of our Urantia Movement's news.
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