AI and Religion

Catalog description

What could artificial intelligence, a non-human form of information technology, possibly have to do with religion, defined by some theorists as a quintessentially human phenomenon? What does it mean for AI agents to create their own religion? This course examines the intersections of AI and religion, two cultural forms that are of immediate relevance to our lives in the present moment. We begin by asking what precisely we mean by the word "religion," exploring how leaders of the tech industry speak about artificial intelligence using the language of religion and how the culture surrounding AI exhibits religion-like features. We then turn to case studies from Buddhist and Hindu religious traditions that can help us to build bridges between notions of consciousness and the more-than-human world. Finally, we examine how AI technology is shaping the ways humans practice religion, raising questions about the relationship between religion and the ethics of technology.