In this thought-provoking keynote from the Missional AI Summit, Daniel Whitenack draws surprising parallels between FBI agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully from The X-Files and the emerging world of AI agents.

Highlights from Daniel Whitenack’s Presentation

2025 has been dubbed “The Year of AI Agents,” and this presentation offers a uniquely engaging perspective on how organizations can leverage these technologies for Bible translation, digital engagement, and mission-driven work.

Key Concepts Explored:

• The X-Files Framework: The contrasting approaches of FBI agents Mulder (intuitive, searching through neglected files) and Scully (precise, scientific) provide a perfect metaphor for different types of AI agents and their functions.
• Real-World Applications: The presentation includes demonstrations of AI agents that:
  • Search through video content to find relevant biblical imagery
  • Review scripts by automatically checking theological accuracy
  • Extract precise translations from Paratext projects
  • Create digital engagement tools for scripture Q&A
• Practical Implementation: Organizations like Biblica and Chip are already implementing these agent technologies to maintain precision while scaling their mission impact.
• Safety Considerations: The presentation addresses potential risks and mitigation strategies when deploying AI agents for mission work.

The keynote concludes with a powerful reminder about the eternal impact of mission-driven technology work compared to even the most impressive fictional FBI investigations.

Additional Resources

The presentation references several related breakout sessions covering private deployment models, open-source options, and alignment issues that further explore the intersection of AI agents and missional work.

“This is a mission-driven experience… but as much as the great work that Fox and Scully did on X-Files, our impact within this is eternal. It’s not only sort of tangible, it’s eternally worthwhile.” – Daniel Whitenack