How churches use data and AI as engines of surveillance
1 min read
Summary
The adaptation of church communities into data-driven behavioural models is becoming increasingly common within the United States.
Gloo is among the firms leading this digital transformation, with a platform that analyses donations, church attendance and petitions to build profiles of congregants.
This can be reinforced with third-party data on consumer habits, Census information and credit risks to give a 360-degree portrait of churchgoers to pastors.
Gloo has partnerships with over 100,000 churches across the country, with datasets used to craft an AI model aiming to anticipate moments when faith and pastoral outreach are most needed.
While proponents hail the shift as a means of better connecting with communities and providing help to those in need, others have pointed to the potential for data misuse and lack of transparency over how information will be used.