Dear Editor:
We are clergy in the Unitarian and Universalist tradition, and we affirm that every person has the right to flourish with inherent dignity. Our commitment to justice and equity calls us to advocate that systems—whether in our communities or in the technologies shaping global conflict—are designed with fairness and accountability at their core. We covenant to use our time, wisdom, attention, and money to build and sustain fully accessible and inclusive communities. But what does that commitment mean when it comes to the future of AI-driven warfare?
Last Spring, the U.S. Secretary of Defense announced to the media (click here) that $580,000,000 in grants and contracts was cut from the budget of the U.S. Department of Defense. These cuts targeted programs identified as wasteful or misaligned with current government priorities.
One particular cut caught one of our colleague’s attention: $9,000,000 that had been set aside to develop “equitable artificial intelligence.” The Defense Secretary justified this decision by stating, “I need lethal machine learning models, not equitable machine learning models.”
There is no question that any AI developed by the Pentagon will have immense lethal capacity. But without intentional safeguards, these systems risk perpetuating biases that could lead to flawed intelligence, misguided targeting, and devastating consequences for innocent lives. Warfare already increases harms against those who are vulnerable; an unchecked, inequitable AI could deepen these injustices.
If our military is truly committed to responsible innovation, then ensuring AI is not just a tool for defense but also a just tool should be a priority, not an afterthought. Equity in AI is not about making machines less effective, it’s about making the tool more discerning, more accountable, and less prone to catastrophic errors. One day, we hope our species will evolve morally to find weapons of war repugnant. Until then, as people of faith who value justice and equity, we must call for technology that upholds the dignity and worth of all people, even in the most complex and high-stakes arenas.
With appreciation,
Rev. Mark Cutolo, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Rockland County
Rev. Arlin Roy, First Unitarian Society of Westchester
Rev. Emily De Tar Birt, Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Northern Westchester
Rev. Daniel Lawlor, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Hudson Valley
Rev. Danielle Lindstrom, Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation at White Plains
Rev. Lane Cobb, Fourth Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Westchester
