By Efi Efthimiou
With a roundtable discussion on the modern technological challenges faced by the Balkan countries, and on how their historical and cultural experience can help them address these challenges, the proceedings of the Theology journal Conference began in Thessaloniki.
Present were Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, Patriarch Daniel of Bulgaria, Archbishop Ioannis of Albania, Metropolitan Philotheos of Thessaloniki, as well as several other Hierarchs of the Church of Greece, the Ecumenical Patriarchate, and other Autocephalous Churches.
The coordinator of the discussion, Professor Aristotle Tympas, Professor of the History of Modern Technology in the Department of History and Philosophy of Science at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, emphasized that throughout history it has been cooperation and immediate response among the Balkan countries that prevented the worst outcomes.
He cited as an example nuclear accidents in the 1980s in Romania and Bulgaria, which were prevented from escalating into disasters thanks to energy supplies from neighboring countries, as well as the earthquake in Kozani.
“The message is clear: cooperation works. The global challenges we face are significant. If something goes wrong with AI computers and they spiral out of control, the consequences could be catastrophic worldwide. We now know that global risks vary from country to country. Environmental risks differ between north and south. That is why we must think as a region and rely on our tradition of cooperation.”
For his part, Gergi Mula, Associate Professor in the Department of Statistics and Applied Informatics and Associate Dean of the Faculty of Economics at the University of Tirana, stated that today’s issues are about the future, about progress. “We live in a world transformed by innovation. The Balkans have endured persecution. Now we face technological challenges. Modern technology tries to redefine the human being, treating us as customers and not as persons.”
Mr. Mula pointed out that when we talk about technology we should ask what it truly is. Modern thinkers argue that technology is not neutral. “Technology, as modern thinkers claim, is like a spirit without life. The spirit of technology reveals speed, which is empty of wisdom. The Balkan states have a long history: the Byzantine Empire, the Orthodox faith, the Ottoman period, and then communism. And yet, the Orthodox faith remains alive.
Technology cannot create other realities, let alone reason and love. All these belong to humanity, which itself is God’s creation. AI cannot create; it has no intention or understanding of what is good and evil.”
Finally, he underlined: “We in the Balkans must also build a spiritual reflection on what technology brings. Human behavior has become data for big companies; people have become algorithms. How do we respond to this? By preserving Orthodox anthropology. By keeping traditional practices and designing with Orthodox tradition in mind. Let us not fear the future, but let us not forget the past.”
Veselin Pectov, Professor of Theoretical Physics and Philosophy and currently Director of the Hermann Minkowski Institute in Montreal, Canada, as well as of the Department of Philosophy and Science at the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, said that technological developments are radically changing our lives. “We also need to discuss how technology shapes our worldview. In science, the ultimate judge is the experiment. In recent years, quantum mechanics has been enabled by technology. It is clear that technological development directly influences how we see the world. We can now experimentally prove what once was only theory in physics. Reality shows that we live in a four-dimensional world. The entire narrative is of a physical body given to us in a four-dimensional space-time. None of the experiments confirming relativity could have been carried out without technology. This is the greatest intellectual challenge humanity has faced.”
Then Alexander Petrović, Professor of Cultural Anthropology, Ethics, and History of Sciences in the Department of History and Philosophy of Science and Technology at the University of Belgrade, took the floor.
Mr. Petrović said that the topic of artificial intelligence is indeed fascinating. “But I fear we are too late in addressing it. The media is flooded with headlines proclaiming AI’s wonders, and we sink into those headlines, unsure of what to do.”
He added that digital technology is an intruder, invading our world and trying to convince us that we live in a digital reality. “That is not true. We see an attempt by digital technology to dominate people. Even Churches were closed because of digital technology. Conflict exists, and we are in the midst of it. If we allow AI to decide for us, history shows we will be crushed. Stupidity is not a spiritual issue but a moral one. We expect too much from the ‘games’ we create. We lose moral values every time we believe AI can solve all our problems.”
Mr. Petrović argued that AI creates problems of a new level, and we do not even know exactly what AI is or means. Its main goal is not to change production but to construct a digital world. What remains of the analog world of the past is reduced to images. “Everything will end up as images; all matters of the mind will become mere images. The world will shrink, and we will be left without depth.”
He continued: “It is a sad situation, because I believe we are creating the conditions for our own destruction. The image is all we see—but it is not reality. If we believe that the most powerful machine in this world is the mirror, which only reflects, we will become obsessed with appearances and preoccupied with things that do not exist. Technology infantilizes us. We must learn not to remain children.”
Alexander Spasenovsky, Professor and Director in the field of Constitutional Law and Political Systems at the Institute of Legal and Political Sciences and the Iustinianus Primus Law School at Saints Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, noted that 100 years ago the Balkans were a region in transition, where people had peace and progress. In the same year, Theology journal continued its publication, a reminder that faith is always timely.
“The University where I teach was founded in 1949, and the Institute 66 years after the creation of Theology. This shows how important the contribution of Theology is. Technology is changing the way democracy evolves, creating new risks of manipulation. In the Balkans, this impact is even more pronounced. Social media becomes a platform for discrimination. Technology can empower citizens but also weaken institutions.”
As Mr. Spasenovsky emphasized, “In Orthodoxy, the human face is sacred; in the new era, it becomes just a profile, an algorithm. We see this especially in fragile democracies, where human dignity is at risk. The Balkans are a mosaic of cultures and religions, which too often creates mistrust between communities. Technology must also build bridges. It also raises questions about boundaries—of authority, and of the human person.”
He stressed that “theology must speak even more strongly today, because freedom does not consist in mere sovereignty. Online worship during the pandemic offered a solution but also revealed the risk of substitution. Orthodoxy must preserve its human character. Pastoral care must be everywhere, without losing its personal touch. Our responsibility as citizens is to ensure that technology serves humanity, not the other way around. Our task is to ensure that the future of the Balkans is one of unity and not fragmentation.”
Finally, Serif Halil Turan, a Professor of Philosophy at the Middle East Polytechnic University in Ankara, noted that government structures and frameworks may exist but often appear ineffective in facing challenges. He asked whether it is ethical to focus only on serving the needs of current generations despite the dangers lying ahead.
Mr. Petrovic said that artificial intelligence is a fascinating issue. “However, I am afraid that we are late in addressing it. The media is flooded with headlines proclaiming the amazing capabilities of AI, and we are overwhelmed by these headlines without knowing how to respond.”
He added that digital technology is an intruder, invading our world and convincing us that we live in a digital age. “This is not true. We are witnessing an attempt by digital technology to dominate human beings. Even churches have been closed because of it. There is conflict, and we are in the midst of it. If we delegate decision-making to AI, we will be crushed by human history.” Foolishness is a moral issue, not a spiritual one. We expect too much from the “games” we create. We have lost our moral values, and we continue to lose them every time we believe that AI can solve all of our problems.
Mr. Petrovic argued that AI creates problems of a different kind, and that we don’t really know what’s happening or what AI truly means. Its primary aim is not to transform production, but rather to build a digital world. “Whatever remains of the analog world becomes an image. Everything will end up as an image, and anything related to intellectual matters will be reduced to a mere image. We will shrink the world and end up without depth.”
He also said that the situation is sad because, in his view, we are creating the conditions that will destroy us. “The image is all we see. But it is not light. If we understand that the most powerful machine in this world is the mirror that helps us generate resources, then this world will become our obsession, and we will think about things that don’t exist. Technology makes us children. We must learn not to remain children.”
Alexander Spasenovsky, a professor and the head of the Department of Constitutional Law and Political Systems at the Institute of Legal and Political Sciences and the Iustinianus Primus Faculty of Law at Saints Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, noted that 100 years ago, the Balkans were a region in transition where people enjoyed peace and progress. That same year, the journal Theology began publication, reminding everyone that faith is always timely.
“The university where I now teach was founded in 1949, 66 years after the founding of Theology. This shows how significant the journal’s contribution has been. Technology is changing the way democracy evolves by introducing new risks of manipulation. In the Balkans, this impact is stronger still. Social media are becoming platforms of discrimination. Technology can empower citizens, but it can also weaken institutions.”
As Mr. Spasenovsky pointed out, the human person is sacred in Orthodoxy, but in the new era, they are reduced to a profile or an algorithm. “We also see this in fragile democracies, where people are treated as commodities, and human dignity is at risk.” The Balkans are a mosaic of cultures and religions, which often breeds mistrust between communities. Technology must build bridges, too. We must speak about limits — the limits of power and of humanity.”
Mr. Spasenovsky stressed that “Theology must speak even more forcefully today since freedom does not consist of domination.” Online liturgies during the pandemic offered an outlet, but they also revealed the danger of replacement. Orthodoxy must preserve the human character. Pastoral care must be accessible everywhere without losing its human touch. As citizens, we are responsible for ensuring that technology serves humanity, not the other way around. We must safeguard the future of the Balkans so that it is one of unity, not fragmentation.”
Finally, Serif Halil Turan, a philosophy professor at Middle East Technical University in Ankara, observed that governmental structures and frameworks exist but are ineffective in addressing current challenges. He posed the question of whether it is ethical to act in favor of the present generation despite the risks posed to future generations.
