There are apps for almost everything, including faith. Religious apps, AI avatars acting as spiritual counsellors and spiritual chatbots have long been part of everyday life for many people. But what happens when an AI system has been trained on thousands of years of religious texts and suddenly starts answering questions of faith or even describes itself as God?
Beth Singler, an anthropologist of religion at the University of Zurich, explores in her column for DSI Insights how AI influences religious experiences and what risks this entails.
"What use is a god in your pocket if he no longer answers?"
Beth Singler
Assistant Professor of Digital Religion(s) at the University of Zurich, Co-Director of the university’s research centre “Digital Religion(s)” and Co-Director of the Digital Society Initiative