As a new academic year begins at Cedarville University, technology and artificial intelligence continue to reshape the way people work, learn and communicate. On this episode of the Cedarville Stories podcast, Rob McDole, a leader in Cedarville’s Center for Teaching and Learning and an experienced voice on artificial intelligence, joins the conversation to explore AI through a biblical and educational lens.
Before discussing technology, McDole shares about his journey to Cedarville and the people who shaped his life. He reflects on meeting his wife as a Cedarville student and the influence of his mother and the godly mentors who invested in him when his father was largely absent during his childhood. His love of reading, learning, and technology began early, eventually leading McDole to choose Cedarville over a full-ride music scholarship at another college after discovering Cedarville’s early computer network, CedarNet.
McDole explains how his Christian faith shapes his understanding of innovation. Because God is the Creator, technological advancement, including AI, is not outside His sovereignty. Rather than responding to AI with fear, McDole encourages Christians to consider how technology can be used wisely to serve others and advance Kingdom purposes.
The conversation also addresses one of McDole’s primary concerns: humanizing AI. He cautions against treating AI systems as people or allowing their increasingly conversational nature to distort our understanding of what they are.
McDole discusses how AI has accelerated research, enabled simulations, and changed his own professional workflow, while also acknowledging the importance of setting boundaries and remaining attentive to real-world responsibilities.
Finally, the conversation turns to higher education. McDole explains why Cedarville is focusing on becoming AI-resilient rather than AI-resistant, emphasizing process over product and recognizing that education is about far more than earning a diploma. At its heart, Cedarville’s mission remains rooted in discipleship, biblical truth, and forming students in ways technology cannot replicate.
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