AI, ethics and the earth: Professor Stephen Scharper on technology’s spiritual reckoning
In an interview with The Medium, Professor Scharper shares his insights on AI’s ethical dilemmas, environmental consequences, and what they mean for humanity.

In an era of climate anxiety and technological advancement, the conversation surrounding artificial intelligence (AI) frequently centers on productivity, effectiveness, and innovation. But for Professor Scharper at the University of Toronto (U of T) Mississauga (UTM), the most urgent question is not what AI can do, but what it is doing to us—to our planet, our sense of morality and our relationship with the sacred. 

As an anthropology professor at UTM jointly appointed to the School of the Environment, Professor Scharper’s career has been dedicated to the intersection of religion, ecology, and ethics. Yet today, his concerns have turned to a new frontier—AI. As technology rapidly evolves, a new question emerges: What happens when humanity entrusts machines?

Professor Scharper begins the conversation with reference to sacred stories, including the Hebrew prophets, Latin American liberation theologians, and the Catholic priest Thomas Berry, who called himself a “geologian.” Professor Scharper explains that Berry viewed the universe itself as a revelation. Berry noted that while so much attention has been given to scripture, people often overlook the first book of Revelation: the Earth.

From theology to ecology: integrating disciplines 

Professor Scharper’s work blends social justice, religion, and ecology. Inspired by figures like Martin Luther King Jr., Gustavo Gutiérrez, and Thomas Berry, he has long explored how ethical reflection and care for the Earth intersect. His PhD at McGill extended this dialogue, connecting human liberation with ecological responsibility, a focus that continues in his teaching at U of T. Today, he asks what it means to be human in a world increasingly shaped by algorithms and AI.

In practice, Professor Scharper encourages students to engage directly with the natural world. Each week, students spend half an hour at a designated “sit-spot,” observing without screens or earbuds and linking the experience to class readings and discussion. Initially skeptical, students often report that by the third or fourth week, the practice restores focus, sparks curiosity, and offers a sense of hope. 

Professor Scharper frames this as a remedy for what Richard Louv calls “nature deficit disorder.” By helping students reconnect with the natural world, it helps them to see technology for what it truly is, rather than what it is disguised as.

The ecological cost of AI

AI has the potential to serve the planet as well as strain it. Professor Scharper points out that machine learning systems can help with environmental monitoring, such as quickly detecting contaminants in water or scanning large datasets to detect climate and ecological insights. 

AI’s environmental footprint is substantial. Professor Scharper cites Karen Hao’s Empire of AI, which examines how the expansion of data infrastructure often mirrors colonial patterns. He noted, “Two-thirds of the data centers in the world now are being placed in areas of water scarcity.” Such practice effectively exploits resources in the Global South to power AI.

For Professor Scharper, this is more than an environmental issue—it is also a spiritual and ethical crisis. “Pope Francis calls it ‘integral ecology’,” he says, referencing the 2015 encyclical Laudato si’. This concept emphasizes that we must hear the cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor as one, where the ecological crisis and the social crisis are two sides of the same coin.

Risk of over-reliance on AI: meaning, critical thinking, humanity

Professor Scharper reflected on the growing dependence on AI and its impact on how we think and relate to the world. He warned that as we delegate tasks to machines, we risk losing our grounded relationships with nature and with one another. 

“There is this belief that AI, as an apex reality with superior intelligence, is going to tell us our proper role of who we are,” said Professor Scharper. We risk losing our capacity to ask good questions, to sit in nature, to listen deeply to the more-than-human world. When machines provide ready answers, humans become “passive consumers,” dulling curiosity, problem-solving, and moral discernment.

What worries Professor Scharpermost is how easily humans surrender moral authority to machines. “We’re turning to computers to be our spiritual mentors,” he noted, referencing a tragic case of a man who died by suicide after a long exchange with an AI chatbot. This reflects a broader trend of seeking guidance from “corporately driven, sycophantic voices” rather than the “energies of the Earth,” compassionate counsellors, or wise elders.

Technology without a moral compass

Professor Scharper situates today’s AI moment within a long history of technological critique, citing Marshall McLuhan’s warnings about media power and Ursula Franklin’s reflections on the colonial nature of technology. 

“The computer… is not a value-neutral tool. It imposes, by its very power, a kind of cultural frame. It stands next to the typewriter and says that old technology is completely bereft. It’s obsolete,” shared Professor Scharper.

He argues that AI has placed humanity at a crossroads. Borrowing from Thomas Berry, Professor Scharper contrasts two futures: the “Technozoic Era,” defined by technological dependence, waste, and spiritual emptiness, and the “Ecozoic Era,” where technologies work with, rather than against, Earth’s systems.

Much of today’s technology prioritizes profit and engagement over truth, with algorithms fostering addiction and blurring reality. Professor Scharper points to U.S. efforts to suppress independent research at universities like Harvard, Brown, and Columbia, and the fusion of corporate and governmental power, including examples like Trump advancing personal interests through office. He likens this trend to the movie WALL-E, where corporate and state dominance commodifies ecological and social systems.

Transitioning to an Ecozoic future requires moral action from governments, educators, and citizens. With AI intertwined with corporate, governmental, and military interests, self-regulation is insufficient, and societal safeguards, oversight, and reflective engagement are required.

The power is in your hands

Professor Scharper offered several practical pointers for students and young people trying to find balance in an age of rapid technological change. He first emphasized the importance of agency and the belief that individuals can still shape their world. “This is not just some huge tsunami that we’re powerless to control,” said Professor Scharper. “You have a right to a flourishing life.”

He encourages students to reclaim agency and reconnect with nature. He also stresses the importance of choosing sources carefully, relying on peer-reviewed research and trusted journalism, and engaging with communities and values, instead of solely relying on technologies. 

Professor Scharper reminds students that small acts matter. “Anything you do on behalf of the earth or love, integrity and protection of animals is worthwhile.” Everyday choices reflect our attention, values and contribution to meaningful changes.

A call to action

Professor Scharper cautions against what he calls “corporate doomism,” which is the belief that individuals are powerless against global systems that are designed to make them feel small. He emphasizes that people still “have a right to make a difference” and “a right to a democratic freedom of expression,” even amid uncertainty. 

Professor Scharper suggests that what the world needs most is more wisdom, instead of more information or research. Recalling the words of former UTM principal Deep Saini, Professor Scharper notes that “the real purpose of the university is to help you find your place in the cosmos.”

Looking ahead, Professor Scharper is considering a course on the ethics, culture, and emergence of AI, focusing on ecological perspectives. He and Professor Simon Apolloni are exploring “eco-anxiety,” which reflects deeper cultural and imaginative pressures. Professor Scharper’s message is clear: remember what it means to be human and the role we play in shaping the future.

“We have a choice. The Earth is calling. Let us not respond by becoming mere processors of data, but by becoming curious, compassionate, present, and relational with all life.”