Now Offering Accurate and Affordable AI-powered Captioning & Transcription

In today's world defined by constant digital engagement, younger generations increasingly rely on captions and subtitles to enhance their viewing experience. This trend, largely popularized by Gen Z and Millennials, isn’t just limited to streaming shows or watching social media content; it’s spilling over into live events, with a strong case for captions as a way to boost engagement and attendance in venues that historically may have overlooked them, such as churches.

Here’s a look at the data supporting this movement and how churches can use captioning to foster a more engaging environment.

Younger Generations and the Subtitle Revolution

Preply, a language learning platform, conducted a survey titled, “Why America is Obsessed with Subtitles,” to explore the growing trend of subtitle usage among Americans. The study involved over 1,200 participants, aiming to understand how and why individuals use subtitles in their media consumption. The findings revealed that 50% of Americans watch content with subtitles most of the time, with younger generations, particularly Gen Z, showing a greater preference for subtitle use.

• According to Preply's survey, 70% of Gen Z and 53% of Millennial viewers turn on subtitles most of the time when they watch content. This statistic highlights a major shift in media consumption patterns: it’s not just about watching but understanding and engaging with content that drives this trend.
• 74% of Gen Z also prefer subtitles when watching content in foreign languages. With the global reach of platforms like Netflix, young people are more accustomed than ever to encountering diverse media, where subtitles bridge language and comprehension gaps.
• Another 57% of younger viewers report watching content in public places, using captions to stay engaged while maintaining privacy or avoiding sound disruptions. This trend underscores their reliance on captions to stay connected to content in any setting.

This data reveals a generation that sees captions not as an add-on but as an essential part of the viewing experience. For churches, this could signal an opportunity: integrating captions into services may not only help with accessibility but also align with the viewing habits of younger generations.

Captioning Live Events: A Path to Higher Engagement

The impact of captions on in-person attendance is significant. A study from Stagetext revealed that 31% of people would attend more live events if captions were readily available, with younger people leading this interest: 45% of 18-25-year-olds would be more likely to attend events if they were captioned, compared to 16% of those over 56.

This enthusiasm for live captions reflects a shift in how younger generations want to consume live content. Captions at events enhance accessibility for everyone, regardless of hearing ability, and address concerns with acoustics or unclear speech, which often deter audiences. In the church context, offering captions during sermons, worship songs, or events could break down barriers that may otherwise prevent younger individuals from fully engaging.

Engaging a New Generation: How Captioning Can Help Churches Reconnect with Young Adults

Christian churches across the United States are increasingly challenged to capture the interest and attendance of younger generations, who are showing declining levels of religious affiliation and engagement." The Pew Research Center's 2019 article, "In U.S., Decline of Christianity Continues at Rapid Pace," highlights a significant decline in Christian affiliation among younger Americans. The data indicates that only 49% of Millennials (born between 1981 and 1996) identify as Christians, compared to 84% of the Silent Generation (born between 1928 and 1945).

With reports indicating a decline in church attendance in the U.S., many churches are seeking strategies to re-engage their congregations, especially young adults. Captions could be a powerful, practical solution.

Offering live captions during services could address several issues:

• Accessibility and Inclusivity: Young people who are accustomed to captions often view them as an essential tool for inclusion. By offering captions in church, congregations can signal a commitment to inclusivity, welcoming not only those with hearing impairments but also those who may benefit from captioning for other reasons, like understanding speakers with different accents or enhancing focus.
• Boosting Engagement: With 55% of Americans saying it’s harder to hear dialogue in shows than it used to be, similar issues with acoustics or clarity in large church spaces might deter engagement. Captions can solve this problem, making services clearer and more engaging for all attendees.
• Attracting a Tech-Savvy Generation: For a generation that turns to their phones for entertainment, information, and engagement, adding captions is a way of bridging familiar digital practices into the church environment. Just as captions boost engagement on platforms like Instagram and TikTok, they could play a similar role in church services.
• Providing a Multilingual Option: In a diverse country, language can be a barrier for many congregants. With nearly 1 in 5 Preply survey respondents using subtitles to learn a new language, churches could consider offering caption translations in key languages relevant to their community, creating a multilingual service environment.

Moving Forward: A Call for Churches to Embrace Captioning

By understanding the viewing habits of younger generations, churches have the opportunity to create an environment that aligns with their engagement preferences. Embracing captioning technology for in-person services and online sermon streams not only makes services more accessible but can also foster deeper engagement, particularly among younger congregants who see captions as an essential part of their everyday experience.

As churches consider how best to adapt to changing times, incorporating live captions could be a powerful step toward renewing attendance and helping younger generations feel seen, heard, and included in the community. It’s a practical, meaningful solution that could not only enhance accessibility but help bridge generational gaps, allowing churches to resonate with the next generation and grow their community in an inclusive and modern way.

In this session, Tony from Aberdeen Broadcast Services, an accessibility specialist focusing on higher education, dives deep into the essentials of remote captioning. The talk, co-presented by Amiyah Lee, addresses some of the most frequently asked questions from colleges and universities regarding setting up remote captioning, where the live writer does not need to be physically present in the classroom. This approach offers greater flexibility and cost-effectiveness while maintaining the quality needed to meet accessibility standards.

Tony shares some statistics on the use of captioning in higher education, such as the fact that 19% of college students in the United States experience some degree of hearing loss. Additionally, 71% of students without hearing difficulties use captions at least some of the time, and 90% of students who use captions say that they help them learn more effectively. Furthermore, 65% of students use captions to help focus and retain information, while 62% use them to overcome poor audio quality.

Tony and Amiyah provide an overview of the practical steps institutions can take to implement remote captioning, including selecting the right technology and overcoming common challenges. They also discuss how Aberdeen Broadcast Services supports educational institutions by offering affordable captioning solutions, both human captioning and AI-powered ASR technology, that meet compliance requirements without compromising on quality.

Watch it on-demand here:

For more on our work with captioning in higher education, visit: Live Captioning for Universities.

Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) is now making a substantial impact on how local churches connect with their communities, breaking down barriers once caused by financial limitations. With ASR, churches can now offer inclusive services to the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (D/HH) community. But it doesn’t stop there—when combined with Automatic Machine Translation (AMT), this powerful duo overcomes language hurdles, translating sermons into dozens of languages. Even the smallest congregations can now reach a global audience, sharing their message far and wide.

We previously explored the ethical and theological concerns with AI in the Church in our last blog post: The Role of AI in Enhancing Church Accessibility and Inclusion.

While human-generated captions and translations always offer the highest quality, ASR and AMT provide a cost-effective solution that can be utilized by churches and ministries of any size or budget. Imagine your sermon reaching the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (D/HH) community, allowing for full participation, or sharing your message in various languages to a worldwide audience that might otherwise have been unreachable. AI-powered closed captioning and translations help make this a reality. ASR captions and translations are not only a technological advancement; they are tools for inclusivity and global outreach.

Churches aiming to make a significant impact can turn to AI-powered accessibility tools, once considered out of reach, for preaching and teaching. Practical uses of ASR include:

• Live Streaming: AI-powered ASR can integrate with live streaming services to provide real-time captions, subtitles, or even real-time voice dubbing, making worship services accessible to a global audience. This allows viewers from different parts of the world to follow along with the sermon, regardless of their language or hearing ability, thereby expanding the church’s reach and inclusivity.
• In-Person Services: ASR technology can make live sermons more accessible by providing real-time text or audio dubs on congregants’ mobile devices. By making the sermon text available on personal devices, churches can enhance comprehension and engagement for in-person attendees.
• Notes/Summaries: After a sermon is transcribed, extend the message's reach with our AI-enhanced sermon extras. Whether you want to generate Bible studies or daily devotionals, curate key terms and highlight Bible verses, or create summaries and discussion questions, our enhanced transcript materials are designed to add value and extend the impact of your content. Create endless content from a single sermon.

Aberdeen’s new ASR solution, developed with ministry in mind, employs robust AI engines and large language models to provide a powerful advantage in delivering Christian content. Each solution is carefully crafted to fit your specific ministry needs, providing high-quality captions at a fraction of the cost.

Discover how Aberdeen’s ASR solution offers a cost-effective approach to closed captioning & translation. Learn more here: Aberdeen ASR Closed Captioning.

Does Artificial Intelligence (AI) have a place in the Church? Countless podcasts, articles, and sermons are popping up addressing the same question. Despite the widespread discussion, many overlook how deeply AI is already embedded in our daily lives. It influences everything from manufacturing processes and automotive technology to how our food is produced, impacting many products and services we use daily.

Understanding AI: What Is It?

To tackle the question, “Does AI have a place in the Church?” let’s first understand what AI is. At its core, AI simulates human intelligence, performing tasks that typically require human intervention. In the article Artificial Intelligence, IBM explains that “On its own or combined with other technologies (e.g., sensors, geolocation, robotics) AI can perform tasks that would otherwise require human intelligence or intervention”.

Think of AI as a modern tool designed to handle tedious, repetitive, and data-intensive tasks efficiently. For Christians, AI should be considered like any other tool, such as the internet. It’s a resource that, when used wisely, can enhance our practices and outreach without compromising our core values or mission.

Concerns and Fears about AI in Churches

The fear of AI has led some people to strongly believe that the world will be overtaken by it. This reaction is understandable, as AI has quickly evolved from a science fiction concept to a societal staple. Major news outlets continuously report on various issues related to AI. Hollywood produces big-budget movies and TV shows about AI taking over the world, while authors write extensively about its potential aftermath and impact.

Those influences have changed how the Christian views AI. 52% of Christians in the U.S., when polled in the Barna Group’s research How U.S. Christians Feel About AI & the Church, said they would be disappointed if their church used AI. Moreover, less than 25% of those polled view AI as good for the Church.

Several reasons contribute to why many Christians are hesitant about incorporating AI into the church, including:

• Ethical issues: Plagiarism will lose the congregation’s trust. 
• Creative bypass: Deeply emotional worship can feel false.
• Theological concerns: Concepts require the nuance of human interpretation.
• Loss of critical thinking: Pastors can become apathetic and lethargic.
• Loss of human connection: Sermons, studies, and classes become non-familial.

One scholar, Dr. Cory Marsh, on the episode Christians and AI talked on the topic and stated that the major concern of many Christian Pastors, from the list of concerns, is the loss of critical thinking. When crafting a sermon, study, or class the major component of the process is critical thinking so when pastors take that away, other items on the list, such as theological concerns and loss of human connection, quickly follow. It’s completely rational why the church is concerned about the rise of AI and the use of AI-enabled products.

Moving past these concerns, it's also important to recognize how AI can positively impact church operations, especially by enhancing the inclusivity of services.

AI & Accessibility: Enhancing Inclusivity

The pace of technological change is relentless, and the need for inclusive communication solutions in ministries is no different. To meet the ever-growing demand for accessibility, ministries require a diverse toolkit. One tool that has been transformed by the artificial intelligence boom is Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR).

Programs like Dragon NaturallySpeaking or your phone’s Speech-to-Text are examples of ASR technology. The IBM article What is Speech Recognition explains, in simple terms, that this tool converts spoken words into text. Although ASR systems initially have a limited vocabulary, they can be significantly enhanced by integrating resources like Large Language Models (LLMs) and Deep Learning. These advanced technologies improve the quality, accuracy, and efficiency of captions, transcriptions, and translations, making ASR tools more effective and reliable.

Unlike sermon content creators, ASR does not add interpretation or creativity to your content; it simply converts your speech to text, word for word.

Embracing AI: A Path to Greater Accessibility in the Church

While AI poses certain ethical and practical challenges within the church context—ranging from concerns about authenticity in worship to the potential for diminished human connection—its benefits, particularly in enhancing accessibility and inclusivity, cannot be ignored. Tools like Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) exemplify how AI can serve the church by broadening access to religious services for those with hearing impairments or language barriers. As technology continues to evolve, it’s important for church leaders to critically evaluate the opportunities available that do not compromise the spiritual integrity of their mission.

Discover how Aberdeen’s ASR solution offers a cost-effective approach to closed captioning. Learn more here: Aberdeen ASR Closed Captioning.