A.I-Religion
JY Provocative Question # 14: Should religion (or spiritual intelligence) influence how we use AI? Should AI influence religious thought and practice? Should the two things be totally unrelated to each other? Should something else guide how we use AI?
There are many controversies when it comes to artificial intelligence (AI). The subject of religion also stirs up controversies. So, someone creates an AI algorithm and feeds it with information on a particular religious doctrine and rituals. The AI replicates the concept of leadership in that religion, presides over the rituals, even giving lessons and advice. In essence being the head of that religious organization.
Well, it is already happening. In Japan a robot called Pepper was developed and programmed to perform Buddhist rituals and funeral ceremonies. Also, another robot called Mindar was installed as a priest heading Kodaiji, a 400 year old Buddhist temple in Kyoto.
In Beijing, China, the Longquan Monastery has an android monk called Xian’er that recites Buddhist mantras and give guidance on matters of faith. In India, there is a robot performing the Hindu aarti ritual.
In Europe, the Protestant Church in Germany developed the BlessU-2 robot which gave out more the 10,000 blessings. Then there is the Christian SanTO Robot which resembles Catholic saints. SanTO is programmed to respond to people with quotations from the New Testament.
A confession chatbot has been developed for Catholics. The worshipers can log into the chatbox and have an interactive conversation about their sins. AI developers are planning to create an AI for Muslims.
This is just scratching the surface, but at the end of the day, AI will be developed to fit into the confines of humanity. Sadly, it includes matters of spirituality.
True_George will never understand why there is a push to install AI into any type of religion, or even have any type of religion influence them. Especially when religion is the basis of many of the world’s conflicts. But, given those examples that were mentioned, it looks like AI will be intertwined and guided by the religion of the programmers.
Hopefully, cooler heads will prevail and keep the separation of religion and state. If the AI is programmed according to religion. That the AI be restricted in dealing with religious matters.
True_George 
Thanks for sharing those examples of AI usage in religious practice. It’s interesting to me to see what tasks different faith leaders are willing to delegate to AI. Some of it surprises me. Like I could sooner envision using AI for text research vs. ritual practice, but maybe that’s just my personal line in the sand.
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To me it seems that faith leaders want to save some time and labor by using AI
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I think there should be a definite separation between religion and state – I also think it’s time religion was just an individualistic thing and not a group thing as I think that’s what’s causing many of the war-type problems and fighting. They’d probably all be alright if they kept themselves to themselves and didn’t evangelise or see other religions as wrong and ‘infidels’!
I think AI is a good idea for all the repetitive ritual within religion but not for advice. After all, it’s only the advice of whoever programmed it really so that could lead to either bad advice or indoctrination. Didn’t know about all the androids who’ve been put in place already in religion though. That photo of the android looks very ‘Data-like’ in its purity!
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Separation of religion and state is a must…
I also agree that religion should be an individual thing, bit organized religion is not about salvation it is about power and control that will never change..
The question is if taking advice from an AI is akin to taking advice from a normal person. The AI has no emotion and is logic driven would it appeal to how a person feel?
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Organised religion is absolutely about control and power. The way I see it is that, historically, religion was ‘invented’ as a method of control of society before there were many laws. It was possibly a good idea at the time, e.g. to tell people they shouldn’t kill as they might suffer by not going to heaven or suchlike as that would make them think twice about killing. But there isn’t really any need for that now and hasn’t been for centuries.
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