The Cambridge Companion to Religion and Artificial Intelligence

A comprehensive guide to the emerging field of religion and Artificial Intelligence that will be of interest to readers from many fields.

Beth Singler (Edited by), Fraser Watts (Edited by)

9781009013659, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 21 November 2024

338 pages
22.8 x 15.1 x 2 cm, 0.5 kg

'I felt like the information was very accessible while providing framing on what I'm considering a new theological frontier.' Michael Dreoge, Drew University

Religion and artificial intelligence are now deeply enmeshed in humanity's collective imagination, narratives, institutions, and aspirations. Their growing entanglement also runs counter to several dominant narratives that engage with long-standing historical discussions regarding the relationship between the 'sacred” and the 'secular' - technology and science. This Cambridge Companion explores the fields of Religion and AI comprehensively and provides an authoritative guide to their symbiotic relationship. It examines established topics, such as transhumanism, together with new and emerging fields, notably, computer simulations of religion. Specific chapters are devoted to Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism, while others demonstrate that entanglements between religion and AI are not always encapsulated through such a paradigm. Collectively, the volume addresses issues that AI raises for religions, and contributions that AI has made to religious studies, especially the conceptual and philosophical issues inherent in the concept of an intelligent machine, and social-cultural work on attitudes to AI and its impact on contemporary life. The diverse perspectives in this Companion demonstrate how all religions are now interacting with artificial intelligence.

1. Introduction Beth Singler and Fraser Watts
2. Steps toward android intelligence William Clocksin
Part I. Religions and Ai: 3. Hinduism and artificial intelligence Robert Geraci and Stephen Kaplan
4. The Buddha in AI/Robotics Hannah Gould and Keiko Nishimura
5. Artificial intelligence and Jewish thought David Zvi Kalman
6. Artificial intelligence and christianity: friends or foes? Marius Dorobantu
7. Islam and artificial intelligence Yaqub Chaudhary
Part II. Social & Moral Issues: 8. Transhumanism and transcendence Ilia Delio
9. The eschatological future of artificial intelligence: savior or apocalypse? Noreen Herzfeld
10. AI ethics and ethical ai Paula Boddington
11. Black theology x artificial intelligence Philip Butler
12. Imag(in)ing human-Robot relationships Scott Midson
Part III. Religious Studies: 13. The anthropology and sociology of religion and ai Beth Singler
14. Simulating religion F. LeRon Shults and Wesley J. Wildman
15. Cognitive modelling of spiritual practices Fraser Watts
16. Artificial companions and spiritual enhancement Yorick Wilks.

Subject Areas: Religious ethics [HRAM1]