The
Relationship
Problem
More people are struggling to live meaningful lives than we've ever sceen. The rapidly growing challenges of AI applications is changing life quickly, and the near future of AI is largely painted in fear.
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Screens come before prayer.​
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Algorithms shape desire before reflection.​
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AI is changing how we relate​
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Our devices are altering us long before we understand its consequences.
character.ai
Over 20 Million
Monthly Users
Replika
Over 35 Million
Monthly Users
Nearly 1 in 3 U.S. adults report having experienced an emotional or romantic bond with an AI companion.
50% of U.S. Teens Use AI Companions for Friendship.
1/3 Rely on them for Emotional Support or Romance.
25% of U.K. kids (9-17)
Use AI Companions
1 in 7 Prefer them to People
The Effects
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Fractured attention
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Rising anxiety and loneliness
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Thinning community and family
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A growing gap between our values and how we live
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Reshaping of the life of faith
The Main Fears about AI
Work is disappearing and so is meaning
Surveillance is expanding and agency shrinking
Power is concentrating and control is slipping
Truth is destabilizing and so is democracy
Relationships are being simulated and so are souls
Formation
Research
Innovation
Presence
How NOVUS Initiative advances human flourishing in the age of AI
Research Excellence
Producing significant scholarship that defines the field
Leadership Formation
Training the next generation of thoughtful technology leaders
Public Conversation
Shaping cultural conversations about technology and humanity
Inovative Application
Creating tools and frameworks for immediate application
Research Excellence
Producing significant scholarship that defines the field
Leadership Formation
Training the next generation of thoughtful technology leaders
Public Conversation
Shaping cultural conversations about technology and humanity
Inovative Application
Creating tools and frameworks for immediate application
Tomas Pfister, PhD
Research & Development Director
Tomas Pfister is Head of AI Research at Google Cloud, where he leads teams developing cutting-edge AI for Google's Cloud platform. Prior to Google, he was a Staff Research Scientist at Apple and co-founded Apple’s central machine learning research group, publishing Apple’s first deep learning research paper which won the Best Paper Award at CVPR 2017. He was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 in Science.
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Tomas’s scientific work includes advances in learning from synthetic data, the first automated systems for detecting facial micro-expressions, and widely used models such as Temporal Fusion Transformers and TabNet. He holds a PhD from the University of Oxford’s VGG Research Group and a First-Class BA in Computer Science from the University of Cambridge.
Christian community has been caught off guard by the rise of AI technologies. Few in the Church possesses the combination of expertise, spiritual-formation practices, and direct connection to the AI world necessary to make a transformative difference. NOVUS is positioned to fill that vacuum.
A Case Study: AI Companions
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Mission
NOVUS is a nonprofit research and formation center dedicated to helping individuals, leaders, and civic institutions live wisely and faithfully in a rapidly technologized world. With a foundation in both analytic philosophy, spiritual formation, and empirical research, NOVUS brings clarity, depth, and moral vision to questions that shape our shared future: What is a person? What is attention worth? How do we cultivate agency in a world designed to fragment it? What does it mean to form the soul in an era of algorithms?
Vision
NOVUS Initiative is a research and formation center that helps Christian leaders, organizations, and families make sense of technology’s impact on faithful life with God and equips them with the wisdom and practices they need to form people deeply in Christ in a world built for distraction from faith, hope, and love.
The Christian community has been caught off guard by the rise of AI technologies. Few in the Church possesses the combination of expertise, spiritual-formation practices, and direct connection to the AI world necessary to make a transformative difference. NOVUS is positioned to fill that vacuum.
Artificial Intelligence is Bringing Hopes & Harms
Here is What We Can Do
The Crisis Isn’t Screens.
It’s the Lost Wisdom and Way of Jesus
Board Member Bios
Brandon Rickabaugh, PhD
Founder, Director, CEO
Brandon Rickabaugh, PhD, is a philosopher, award winning author, academic, and public intellectual working at the intersection of consciousness, technology, and spiritual formation. Educated at Baylor University, Talbot School of Theology (Biola University) and a former professor of philosophy. His academic training includes philosophy, neuroscience, theology, and spiritual formation. He has given talks at Oxford, Cambridge, Yale, Berkeley, UCLA, Durham (UK), and UT Austin.
His research advances our understanding of the human mind (thoughts and emotions), will, body and soul and a renewed vision of human flourising in an age increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence. His work appears in peer reviewed journals, top academic book publishers, and public outlets such as Journal of Ideas and Comment Magazine, where he is known for integrating analytic clarity with cultural insight and a quietly prophetic voice.
​
As Founder and President of the NOVUS Initiative, Brandon provides the intellectual vision and strategic leadership guiding NOVUS’s mission to help individuals and institutions flourish amid rapid technological change. He consults with organizations, churches, and leaders navigating AI’s cultural, ethical, and spiritual consequences, and develops formation tools, courses, and public resources that bridge philosophical depth with practical wisdom. Brandon speaks widely on AI companions, depersonalization, digital attention, and the moral shape of technological life.
At NOVUS, he leads research, public engagement, consulting, and the development of frameworks that help communities resist technological harms and inovative ways to use technology for human flourishing.
James Catford
Founding Chair, Vice President
James Catford brings decades of global leadership at the intersection of publishing, culture, and spiritual formation. ​His career includes senior executive and board positions within some of the world’s most influential cultural and faith-based organizations.
​
He served as Publisher at HarperCollins, overseeing authors such as C.S. Lewis (postumously), Dallas Willard, and Richard Foster; Chief Executive of the British and Foreign Bible Society; and Founding Chair of Theos, the United Kingdom’s leading think tank on religion and public life. He has chaired Renovaré Britain & Ireland, Renovaré USA, and SPCK—the third-oldest publisher in the UK—and served as Vice-Chair of Amity Printing Company in China, the world’s largest producer of Bibles.
As Board Chair of NOVUS, James brings unmatched expertise in institutional development, public engagement, and global strategy, helping ensure that NOVUS grows with integrity, ambition, and long-term impact.
Derek Holser
Secretary
Derek Holser is an author, educator, and attorney whose work integrates legal discernment, Christian imagination, and public formation. He has written numerous works of fiction for young readers—including the Lightglider Origins series—and has ghostwritten more than a dozen books for leaders across sectors. Derek has served in Christian higher education and hosts The Plunge with Derek Holser, a podcast exploring literature, theology, and the moral imagination.
As Secretary of the NOVUS Board, Derek brings strategic insight into how institutions and technologies shape persons, communities, and the common good. His background in law, education, and narrative formation strengthens NOVUS’s governance and helps ensure its work is guided by wisdom, and clarity.
Laura Rickabaugh
Treasurer
Laura Rickabaugh serves as Treasurer of NOVUS. With B.A. degrees in Education and French (Chapman University, Orange, CA), and an MEd. (Concordia University, Irvice, CA) She has over 20 years experience as a profession educator and currently teaches 4th-grade at Jupiter Christian School in Jupiter, Florida. In the classroom, she is known for her thoughtful, Christ-centered care for students and her commitment to forming both minds and character. Her work in Christian education keeps her close to the lived realities families and children face as they navigate an increasingly technological world.
​
As Treasurer, Laura brings diligence, integrity, and attention to detail to the financial stewardship of NOVUS. She helps ensure that the organization’s resources are managed responsibly and transparently, enabling NOVUS to pursue its mission with both spiritual depth and fiscal accountability.
Aman Mengistu
NOVUS Lab Director
Aman Mengistu is a writer, storyteller, and communications strategist whose work sits at the intersection of justice, spiritual formation, and public imagination. He serves as Managing Director of Uppermost Media, a content studio that crafts narrative, design, and communication strategies for mission-driven organizations. As a writer and copywriter for Prison Fellowship, he has contributed feature stories to Inside Journal and helped shape the award-winning 2023 Second Chance Month campaign, telling stories of transformation, restoration, and hope behind bars.
​
Based in Washington, DC, Aman is deeply involved in formation and reconciliation work through National Community Church, where he leads DivorceCare groups and appears in the Beloved Community 101 curriculum as a storyteller in the “Peacemakers” session. He is also a Cultura Fellow with the Martin Institute at Westmont College. As a NOVUS Board Member, Aman brings a rare blend of narrative craft, justice-informed ministry, and on-the-ground pastoral experience, helping NOVUS connect its work on AI and technological culture to the real stories, wounds, and hopes of communities today.
Sue Radford
Media Director
Sue Radford Catford is a media and communications consultant with nearly twenty years of experience as a broadcast journalist and presenter. She has worked for the BBC, ITV, and Sky News as a reporter, newsreader, and continuity announcer, and has fronted documentaries highlighting issues of poverty, justice, and the dignity of marginalized communities.
​
As founder of Sue Radford Associates, she provides executive communications coaching, media-skills training, conference anchoring, and voiceover work for a wide range of corporate and nonprofit clients, including World Vision, the BBC, UK Gold, Grampian TV, and The Salvation Army. She has also served as Executive Director of Intermission Youth Theatre, an arts-based mentoring program for young people in London.
As Media Director of the NOVUS Board, Sue brings deep expertise in public communication, media strategy, and youth-focused formation, helping NOVUS speak clearly, credibly, and compassionately into the public conversation about technology and human flourishing.​
NOVUS
INITIATIVE
Applied Christian Wisdom in a Technological Age
Vision
NOVUS Initiative is a research and formation center that helps Christian leaders, organizations, and families make sense of technology’s impact on faithful life with God and equips them with the wisdom and practices they need to form people deeply in Christ in a world built for distraction from faith, hope, and love.
The Christian community has been caught off guard by the rise of AI technologies. Few in the Church possesses the combination of expertise, spiritual-formation practices, and direct connection to the AI world necessary to make a transformative difference. NOVUS is positioned to fill that vacuum.
The Christian community has been caught off guard by the rise of AI technologies. Few in the Church possesses the combination of expertise, spiritual-formation practices, and direct connection to the AI world necessary to make a transformative difference. NOVUS is positioned to fill that vacuum.
Board Member Bios
Brandon Rickabaugh, PhD
Founder, Director, CEO
Brandon Rickabaugh, PhD, is a philosopher, award winning author, academic, and public intellectual working at the intersection of consciousness, technology, and spiritual formation. Educated at Baylor University, Talbot School of Theology (Biola University) and a former professor of philosophy. His academic training includes philosophy, neuroscience, theology, and spiritual formation. He has given talks at Oxford, Cambridge, Yale, Berkeley, UCLA, Durham (UK), and UT Austin.
His research advances our understanding of the human mind (thoughts and emotions), will, body and soul and a renewed vision of human flourising in an age increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence. His work appears in peer reviewed journals, top academic book publishers, and public outlets such as Journal of Ideas and Comment Magazine, where he is known for integrating analytic clarity with cultural insight and a quietly prophetic voice.
​
As Founder and President of the NOVUS Initiative, Brandon provides the intellectual vision and strategic leadership guiding NOVUS’s mission to help individuals and institutions flourish amid rapid technological change. He consults with organizations, churches, and leaders navigating AI’s cultural, ethical, and spiritual consequences, and develops formation tools, courses, and public resources that bridge philosophical depth with practical wisdom. Brandon speaks widely on AI companions, depersonalization, digital attention, and the moral shape of technological life.
At NOVUS, he leads research, public engagement, consulting, and the development of frameworks that help communities resist technological harms and inovative ways to use technology for human flourishing.
James Catford
Founding Chair, Vice President
James Catford brings decades of global leadership at the intersection of publishing, culture, and spiritual formation. ​His career includes senior executive and board positions within some of the world’s most influential cultural and faith-based organizations.
​
He served as Publisher at HarperCollins, overseeing authors such as C.S. Lewis (postumously), Dallas Willard, and Richard Foster; Chief Executive of the British and Foreign Bible Society; and Founding Chair of Theos, the United Kingdom’s leading think tank on religion and public life. He has chaired Renovaré Britain & Ireland, Renovaré USA, and SPCK—the third-oldest publisher in the UK—and served as Vice-Chair of Amity Printing Company in China, the world’s largest producer of Bibles.
As Board Chair of NOVUS, James brings unmatched expertise in institutional development, public engagement, and global strategy, helping ensure that NOVUS grows with integrity, ambition, and long-term impact.
Derek Holser
Secretary
Derek Holser is an author, educator, and attorney whose work integrates legal discernment, Christian imagination, and public formation. He has written numerous works of fiction for young readers—including the Lightglider Origins series—and has ghostwritten more than a dozen books for leaders across sectors. Derek has served in Christian higher education and hosts The Plunge with Derek Holser, a podcast exploring literature, theology, and the moral imagination.
As Secretary of the NOVUS Board, Derek brings strategic insight into how institutions and technologies shape persons, communities, and the common good. His background in law, education, and narrative formation strengthens NOVUS’s governance and helps ensure its work is guided by wisdom, and clarity.
Laura Rickabaugh
Treasurer
Laura Rickabaugh serves as Treasurer of NOVUS. With B.A. degrees in Education and French (Chapman University, Orange, CA), and an MEd. (Concordia University, Irvice, CA) She has over 20 years experience as a profession educator and currently teaches 4th-grade at Jupiter Christian School in Jupiter, Florida. In the classroom, she is known for her thoughtful, Christ-centered care for students and her commitment to forming both minds and character. Her work in Christian education keeps her close to the lived realities families and children face as they navigate an increasingly technological world.
​
As Treasurer, Laura brings diligence, integrity, and attention to detail to the financial stewardship of NOVUS. She helps ensure that the organization’s resources are managed responsibly and transparently, enabling NOVUS to pursue its mission with both spiritual depth and fiscal accountability.
Tomas Pfister, PhD
Research & Development Director
Tomas Pfister is Head of AI Research at Google Cloud, where he leads teams developing cutting-edge AI for Google's Cloud platform. Prior to Google, he was a Staff Research Scientist at Apple and co-founded Apple’s central machine learning research group, publishing Apple’s first deep learning research paper which won the Best Paper Award at CVPR 2017. He was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 in Science.
​
Tomas’s scientific work includes advances in learning from synthetic data, the first automated systems for detecting facial micro-expressions, and widely used models such as Temporal Fusion Transformers and TabNet. He holds a PhD from the University of Oxford’s VGG Research Group and a First-Class BA in Computer Science from the University of Cambridge.
As an Advisory Board Member at NOVUS, Tomas brings front-line expertise in generative and predictive AI, helping the organization think wisely about innovation, governance, and the future of human-centered technology.
Aman Mengistu
NOVUS Lab Director
Aman Mengistu is a writer, storyteller, and communications strategist whose work sits at the intersection of justice, spiritual formation, and public imagination. He serves as Managing Director of Uppermost Media, a content studio that crafts narrative, design, and communication strategies for mission-driven organizations. As a writer and copywriter for Prison Fellowship, he has contributed feature stories to Inside Journal and helped shape the award-winning 2023 Second Chance Month campaign, telling stories of transformation, restoration, and hope behind bars.
​
Based in Washington, DC, Aman is deeply involved in formation and reconciliation work through National Community Church, where he leads DivorceCare groups and appears in the Beloved Community 101 curriculum as a storyteller in the “Peacemakers” session. He is also a Cultura Fellow with the Martin Institute at Westmont College. As a NOVUS Board Member, Aman brings a rare blend of narrative craft, justice-informed ministry, and on-the-ground pastoral experience, helping NOVUS connect its work on AI and technological culture to the real stories, wounds, and hopes of communities today.
Sue Radford
Media Director
Sue Radford Catford is a media and communications consultant with nearly twenty years of experience as a broadcast journalist and presenter. She has worked for the BBC, ITV, and Sky News as a reporter, newsreader, and continuity announcer, and has fronted documentaries highlighting issues of poverty, justice, and the dignity of marginalized communities.
​
As founder of Sue Radford Associates, she provides executive communications coaching, media-skills training, conference anchoring, and voiceover work for a wide range of corporate and nonprofit clients, including World Vision, the BBC, UK Gold, Grampian TV, and The Salvation Army. She has also served as Executive Director of Intermission Youth Theatre, an arts-based mentoring program for young people in London.
As Media Director of the NOVUS Board, Sue brings deep expertise in public communication, media strategy, and youth-focused formation, helping NOVUS speak clearly, credibly, and compassionately into the public conversation about technology and human flourishing.​
Eff Martin
Advisory Board Member
Eff W. Martin is founding partner of Anthos Capital, and retired Managing Director and Partner of Goldman, Sachs & Co., where he helped build the firm’s High Technology business. Over three decades in investment banking, he advised some of the world’s leading technology companies—including Apple, Cisco, Hewlett-Packard, Juniper Networks, and Microsoft—on strategic transactions and long-term growth. He has served on several major boards, including the Pepperdine University Board of Regents, the San Francisco Symphony, the Stanford University Athletic Board, and the advisory board of the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research.
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He chairs the Advisory Board of the Martin Institute and Dallas Willard Research Center at Westmont College and co-founded the Center for Conscientious Leadership, a values-based community that mentors young professionals in character, purpose, and integrity.
As a NOVUS Advisory Board Member, Eff brings seasoned judgment at the intersection of technology, capital, and character, helping NOVUS shape a future in which technological power is guided by wisdom, moral seriousness, and long-term human flourishing.