On September 21, 2023 (The Feast of the Nativity of Our Most Holy Lady, the Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary) the founder of the "Petar Mandic" Endowment, Presbyter Dr. Oliver Subotic, delivered a lecture at the Orthodox Seminary of St. Sava in Belgrade.

Lecture at the Orthodox Seminary of St. Sava

The lecture focused on the challenges posed by artificial intelligence and the Christian perspective on responding to those challenges.

The audience in attendance included students from all classes of the the Orthodox Seminary of St. Sava, led by several of their professors. Deacon Dr. Djordje Petrovic, a professor of dogmatics, moderated the lecture.

The lecture primarily encompassed the explanation of fundamental terminology in the field of artificial intelligence. Students were introduced to terms such as machine learning, artificial neural networks, the Turing test, as well as the typology of artificial intelligence.

After discussing the technical aspects and providing a brief history of this field, the author turned his attention to the practical applications of artificial intelligence, as well as ethical concerns. The emphasis was placed on the Orthodox Christian perspective on this topic. In particular, he highlighted the problem of the impact of AI on the inner being of man, addressing the main challenges and problems and proposing some ways to resolve them.

The students of the Orthodox Seminary actively participated in the subsequent dialogue with their questions and comments. The lecturer emphasized that AI is the main technological challenge of the present day and that the students of the the Orthodox Seminaries should acquaint themselves with it as a phenomenon. As future pastors of the Church, they will undoubtedly come into contact with this issue. This is why it is so important for them to be educated in this field and learn to observe it critically from a Christian perspective.

During the lecture, Fr. Oliver announced the publication of his book on this topic and promised to provide a copy for the library of the Seminary.

Professors Branislav Kezic and Djordje Petrovic guided Fr. Oliver Subotic through the Orthodox Seminary of St. Sava, acquainting him with its life and showing him the progress made in the renovation of the dormitory's infrastructure. Fr. Oliver was particularly impressed by the prayerful atmosphere during the evening service and the sense of community among the students and professors in general.

In a conversation with the professors of the school, Fr. Oliver Subotic proposed that this lecture serve as an introduction to official collaboration between the "Petar Mandic" Endowment and this educational institution, aiming to further enhance the knowledge of the students who attend it. The proposal was well-received among the professors, and concrete steps in this direction are expected in the future.