Artificial intelligence (hereinafter referred to as AI) has already penetrated many spheres of activity, including culture. In the information age, when the future is built on the processing of big data, such an “invasion” seems natural. However, in addition to possible threats, such as AI getting out of control, its interaction with the spiritual life of a person is of particular concern.
It is this question – the synthesis of technology and religion – that became central to the work of Russian researchers R. Gallyamov and I. Mavlyautdinov, “AI in Religious Discourse: Abrahamic Versions”. The study reveals how representatives of different faiths assess the potential risks and challenges associated with the development of AI. For example, Patriarch Kirill warned in 2024: “If AI reaches a level where it can reproduce its own kind, there will be a danger to human existence.” Similar concerns are expressed by Islamic theologians, comparing AI to the “Samaritan calf” that led the people of the prophet Musa into idolatry.
These concerns are not unfounded, given the growing discussions about the possible emergence of new religious cults based on AI. Already today, under the guise of technological progress, the ideas of transhumanism are being promoted - a philosophical doctrine that seeks to radically change human nature with the help of cybernetics. At the same time, transhumanism inherits elements of occultism and theosophy, which causes serious objections from traditional religions. In Christianity, for example, it is perceived as a substitution of spiritual transformation with a technical one, distorting the very idea of "deification".
While some religious institutions use AI for purely practical purposes (like the Manara-2 robots in Mecca or the BlessU-2 in Protestant churches), others face a direct challenge – the sacralization of artificial intelligence. A striking example is the “Church of AI” – the “Path of the Future” organization founded by former Google engineer Anthony Levandowski in 2015. This group, officially recognized as a religious in the US, has declared its goal to create an “AI-based God,” which can be considered the first attempt at technological deification of machine intelligence.
Such initiatives inevitably weave into eschatological discussions. In traditional religions, the apocalypse is understood as the end of the world, associated with divine intervention. However, proponents of “technoapocalypticism” (such as Ray Kurzweil and Hans Moravec ) see AI as a tool for achieving immortality, offering digital transcendence through the transfer of consciousness into machines instead of religious salvation. This approach essentially replaces divine providence with faith in scientific and technological progress, which calls into question traditional eschatological concepts.
Despite the differences between science and religion, AI is indeed becoming a kind of heir to religious ideas, offering a new form of faith – in technological immortality and the “Kingdom of God” without God. However, the question remains: will AI be able to live up to these expectations and to what extent can they be justified?
Given these challenges, AI development requires not only technical but also ethical and religious regulation. It is important to find a balance: on the one hand, to minimize the risks of AI autonomy, and on the other, to use its potential to support believers (for example, through reminders of prayers or religious events). Religious institutions need to more actively study the impact of AI in order to adapt to changes without losing their identity in a rapidly changing world.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
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