We've got a really interesting – and timely – webinar coming up on Thursday 23 July on how faith-consistent investors are navigating artificial intelligence (AI)
We've also been holding deep dives into our Good Intentions 2026 study, sharing key findings and tips for strengthening your investment policy. See below for details!
How faith-consistent investors are nagivating artificial intelligence (AI) ~ a special webinar: Thursday 23 July
We've got a fantastic webinar coming up next week. AI is moving faster than we – or our ethical frameworks – can keep up, with huge implications for our work, our lives and how we live our values. How are faith-consistent investors navigating AI? We have an impressive group of speakers to explore these issues:
Barbara Ridpath, chair of the Church of England’s Ethical Investment Advisory Group, is a member of the Institute of Business Ethics Advisory Council and a non-executive director of Paragon Banking Group PLC.
Umer Suleman, Board advisor to the UK Islamic Finance Council. He is also Chief Risk Officer at Wahed, an Islamic fintech and investment company.
Josh Zinner, CEO of ICCR (Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility) who has more than 25 years’ experience as a non-profit leader, coalition-builder and policy advocate. He is also a long-time public interest lawyer.
The webinar will be moderated by FaithInvest Executive Chair Dave Zellner. Come and share your own thoughts and concerns as we navigate a way through one of the biggest challenges of our age.
Faith-based investors must consider AI ethics in their investment decision process: a two-part thought series
Few technologies in recent memory have advanced as quickly or attracted as much theological scrutiny as artificial intelligence. Many religious groups are grappling with the issues AI raises, and several have issued statements on its implications for human dignity, labour, privacy, and the common good – including Pope Leo in his first encyclical in May.
Responding to these concerns, we have published a two-part discussion series discussing why religious bodies have raised concerns about AI, why they matter to faith-based asset owners, and what investors should ask their asset managers right now.
(1) Faith-based investors & the challege of AI & the dignity & integrity of the human person
(2) Safeguarding the human person – AI governance for faith-based investors
Faith-based investors must now consider AI ethics in their investment decision process. And faith traditions bring something to this debate that others do not. They draw on centuries of reflection on human dignity, the common good, and the relationship between people, work and creation. They ask not only 'is this profitable?' but 'is this good?'
How do faith values and conviction move beyond principles and sentiment to governance? We think it comes down to three actions for faith-based asset owners that aspire to align their investments with their moral obligations: Name AI in your policy; apply a simple test to ensure your use of AI is fair, transparent and accountable; and ask the right questions.
What can we learn from our landmark Good Intentions 2026 study to help faith-consistent investors go further?
Since we launched Good Intentions 2026 – the biggest and most comprehensive study of the state of FCI globally, based on actual faith-based investment policies – we've been holding a series of deep dives into the key findings.
The first was our online launch in May, where we provided an overview of the key results of our analysis of 275 faith investment policies across faith traditions, countries, and organisation types. There we revealed that:
– No organisations (0%) reached the top level of 40-50 points
– 30 organisations (11%) scored the 2nd highest level
– 138 organisations (50%) scored in the 'basic effort' level.
– 107 organisations (39%) scored the lowest level of minimal FCI content.
Our second deep dive in June examined the first four criteria in our 10-point FCI Assessment Framework: documenting faith values,ethical exclusions, positive screening and investment vehicle selection. The third deep dive, held earlier this month, focused on the next three criteria: governance & decision-making, stakeholder communication and education and expertise.
The aim of all of these webinars is to identify key learnings to help faith-based asset owners strengthen their own investment policies and governance. Indeed, the most recent one was so packed with useful advice that participants asked us to send the tips and suggestions discussed to them in a separate document. You can find that and other useful resources in the news story on the webinar on our website (linked below).
All the webinars are available to watch again on YouTube via our Good Intentions page on our website and also via the buttons below.
Request your confidential and free IP&G assessment
One quick way to obtain an idea of where your faith-based organisation stands when it comes to your investment policy is to request an IP&G assessment from FaithInvest. We offer faith-based organisations a free and confidential Investment Policy & Guidelines (IP&G) assessment service to see how well their values are reflected in their IP&Gs. Find out more!
FaithInvest, c/o Stone King LLP, Boundary House, 91-93 Charterhouse Street, London, England EC1M 6HR, United Kingdom, +44 (0)1749 870057
