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Meet our Speakers
Reclaim Reality: Fact and Fiction in a World Defined by Artificial Intelligence
The 9th Annual Reclaim conference takes place March 22, 2025 at the Western Diocese. This year’s theme focuses on Artificial Intelligence and the social and ethical implications for its use.
Under the Auspices of His Eminence Archbishop Hovnan Derderian and sponsored by Epostle.net, speakers have been invited to share insights and thoughts about the topic. As always, there will be plenty of discussion with Q&A after each talk.
Tickets are $50 in advance and $100 at the door. All sales will be donated to the victims of the LA Wildfires of 2025. Tickets are available on Eventbrite by scanning the QR code.
Every week we will introduce you to two of the speakers. Today meet:
Karapet Mkrtchyan is a sub deacon serving at the St. Gregory parish in Pasadena and a PhD candidate in the department of biomedical sciences at the University of California School of Medicine in Riverside. He specializes in lung physiology and develops new AI tools in his research lab to address complex issues in the medical field. When he is not serving on the altar or in the lab, he enjoys studying music and philosophy.
Mkrtchyan’s topic – The Good AI: Using Machine Learning to Better Understand Subjective Reality
George Stepaniants is an NSF Mathematical Sciences Postdoctoral Fellow at the California Institute of Technology. His research investigates how machine learning methods allow us to improve predictions of physical systems as well as discover new physical models from data. He received his PhD in Applied Mathematics and Statistics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and prior to that his BSc in Mathematics and Computer Science from the University of Washington. Outside of his research, George serves as a Deacon in the Armenian Apostolic Church and participates in a variety of cultural and educational programs in Armenian, Russian, and American circles.
About his talk: Artificial intelligence is pervading every aspect of our lives
Experts and enthusiasts alike are becoming increasingly dependent on technologies ranging from small neural networks to large language models. Machine learning methods, when given enough data, construct very convincing approximations of our reality. These approximations are becoming increasingly adept at controlling machinery, analyzing data, and at this point, even educating us. I will discuss how the models offered by artificial intelligence are, on their own, insufficient to give us interpretable explanations of complex real-world phenomena. AI can function as an indispensable tool in our education and in our search for explanations, but real understanding is always obtained through dedicated self-study and human-led exploration. We will discuss the benefits of using artificial intelligence, the risks posed to our own intelligence through its overuse, and ways we can find a balanced approach through our faith.
Rev. Fr. Mesrop Ash is the Parish Priest of St. John Armenian Church in San Francisco. Alongside his pastoral duties, he brings valuable experience in integrating technology into faith-based initiatives. Currently, he is leading several projects that leverage modern tools to support the mission of the Armenian Church. Fr. Mesrop’s work focuses on guiding the contemporary faithful toward Christ and fostering a lifestyle rooted in the faith of our forefathers.
“In What Image? Faith, Truth, and Identity Amidst the Rise of AI”
As artificial intelligence rapidly reshapes our understanding of truth and authority, we face profound spiritual and existential questions about what it means to be created in God’s image. This presentation explores how faithful discernment can provide clarity amid these emerging uncertainties. Together, we’ll reflect on how to balance embracing innovation with preserving authentic spiritual identity in both our inner lives and communities.
Dr. Hratch Tchilingirian, is a sociologist, author and innovation executive. Director of Institutional Innovation at the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church, he has taught at and held academic positions at the universities of Oxford and Cambridge in Britain and, since 2021, is Associate Professor of Armenian Studies (IMAS), INALCO university in Paris. His research, teaching and publications focus on sociology of identity, culture, and religion; Diaspora studies and inter-ethnic conflicts in the Caucasus and Eurasia region.
Intelligence: A path to knowledge and spiritual perfection in Armenian philosophical thinking
In medieval Armenian philosophy, intelligence was often seen as a divine quality tied to the pursuit of wisdom, knowledge, and spiritual perfection. Philosophers—such as David Anhaght, Grigor Tatevatsi, and Anania Shirakatsi—believed that intellectual development was closely related to the soul’s journey toward enlightenment, aligning with spiritual growth and moral virtue. Intelligence, in this context, was not just a cognitive tool but a means of connecting with higher truths, the Divine, and the essence of existence. In contrast, artificial intelligence (AI) is a product of modern science and technology, designed to mimic certain aspects of human cognitive function. Will AI, which operates through algorithms and logic, have a spiritual dimension or pursue spiritual growth? What is the enduring relevance of the past pursuit of wisdom and spiritual perfection in our lives today?
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