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AI and Religion
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AI and Religion

A special issue of Religions (ISSN 2077-1444).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 September 2021) | Viewed by 33824

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Takeshi Kimura

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577, Japan
Interests: history of religions; anthropology; sustainability studies; roboethics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Does Artificial Intelligence have anything to do with religion? Artificial Intelligence (AI) is one of the most fascinating, bewildering, and threatening technologies whose impacts have been examined in various areas from economics, politics, military, education, philosophy, and religion. It is customary to differentiate between Artificial Narrow Intelligence (ANI) and Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) in discussing social, cultural, and philosophical significances of AI technology. Technologically speaking, most AI which has been materialized and implemented are ANI, while several cutting-edge companies have tried to develop AGI. It is interesting to note that the popular representation of AI is inclined to imagine the latter, while the contemporary technological state is limited to the former. 

When it comes to examining the relationship between AI and religions, various aspects need to be examined. It is necessary to examine what sort of questions to be asked. Are there any religious and spiritual background in promoting AI designing and developing? What are AI’s potential and obvious influences upon institutional forms of religions? How will AI transform human religiosity? Are there any magical and gnostic aspects of AI? Will different religious traditions define different kinds of questions? When AI will be embodied, what will happen? When an AI sexbot is introduced into society, will it influence on the relationship between religion and sexuality?

The topic of AI and religion has only just begun to attract scholars’ attention, as the Journal of Implicit Religion 20 (3) (2018) and Zygon: Journal of Religion & Science vol. 54, no. 1 (2019) show. These journals include articles written by scholars whose cultural and religious backgrounds are those of Western society. Since AI is a global technology, it is necessary to ask scholars of religions from different countries and different religious backgrounds to attempt to examine these related issues. The present Special Issue will be a vehicle for such international collaborations.  

Prof. Dr. Takeshi Kimura
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Religions is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • AI
  • religion
  • economics
  • personality
  • magic
  • sexbot

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 233 KiB  
Article
A.I. in Religion, A.I. for Religion, A.I. and Religion: Towards a Theory of Religious Studies and Artificial Intelligence
by Randall Reed
Religions 2021, 12(6), 401; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel12060401 - 31 May 2021
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 8370
Abstract
Artificial intelligence is increasingly used in a variety of fields and disciplines. Its promise is often seen in a variety of tasks, from playing games to driving cars. In this article, I will sketch a theory that opens the door to the use [...] Read more.
Artificial intelligence is increasingly used in a variety of fields and disciplines. Its promise is often seen in a variety of tasks, from playing games to driving cars. In this article, I will sketch a theory that opens the door to the use of artificial intelligence in the study of religion. Focusing on the work of Jonathan Z. Smith, I will show that if, following Smith, the study of religion is considered primarily an act of classification, it can be aided by narrow artificial intelligence that excels at classification and prediction. Then, using a web A.I. called EMMA to classify the New Testament texts as Pauline or non-Pauline as a toy example, I will explore the issues that occur in the application of A.I. Finally, I will turn to Bruno Latour and actor–network theory as a way to theorize the larger issues brought up by the productive use of artificial intelligence in the study of religion Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue AI and Religion)
26 pages, 2501 KiB  
Article
Sexuality and Affection in the Time of Technological Innovation: Artificial Partners in the Japanese Context
by Beatriz Yumi Aoki and Takeshi Kimura
Religions 2021, 12(5), 296; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel12050296 - 22 Apr 2021
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 10963
Abstract
Recent years have witnessed an increase in the number of academic studies on the impact of technological advancements on human life, including possible transformations and changes in human sexuality following the development of sex-related devices, such as sex robots. In this context, terms [...] Read more.
Recent years have witnessed an increase in the number of academic studies on the impact of technological advancements on human life, including possible transformations and changes in human sexuality following the development of sex-related devices, such as sex robots. In this context, terms such as posthuman sexuality, digisexuality, and techno-sexuality have emerged, signaling possible new understandings of sexual, intimacy, and emotional practices. It is important to note that ancient history shows that humankind has for a long time been fascinated with their relationship to non-living things, mostly human-like figures, such as dolls. The Ningyo (人形, the Japanese term for doll) has a long history of usage, and has deep religious and animistic significance in the Japanese context—there are records of sexual use as early as the 18th century. With this context in mind, this paper focuses on three Japanese examples, aiming to shine a light on beyond-human relationships, which include a Japanese man’s marriage to a digital character, sex dolls, and communicative robots, from both a sexual and emotional perspective. In a new horizon of sexual and romantic possibilities, how will humans respond, and what can emerge from these interactions? Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue AI and Religion)
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17 pages, 419 KiB  
Article
Robots, Extinction, and Salvation: On Altruism in Human–Posthuman Interactions
by Juraj Odorčák and Pavlína Bakošová
Religions 2021, 12(4), 275; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel12040275 - 16 Apr 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3056
Abstract
Posthumanism and transhumanism are philosophies that envision possible relations between humans and posthumans. Critical versions of posthumanism and transhumanism examine the idea of potential threats involved in human–posthuman interactions (i.e., species extinction, species domination, AI takeover) and propose precautionary measures against these threats [...] Read more.
Posthumanism and transhumanism are philosophies that envision possible relations between humans and posthumans. Critical versions of posthumanism and transhumanism examine the idea of potential threats involved in human–posthuman interactions (i.e., species extinction, species domination, AI takeover) and propose precautionary measures against these threats by elaborating protocols for the prosocial use of technology. Critics of these philosophies usually argue against the reality of the threats or dispute the feasibility of the proposed measures. We take this debate back to its modern roots. The play that gave the world the term “robot” (R.U.R.: Rossum’s Universal Robots) is nowadays remembered mostly as a particular instance of an absurd apocalyptic vision about the doom of the human species through technology. However, we demonstrate that Karel Čapek assumed that a negative interpretation of human–posthuman interactions emerges mainly from the human inability to think clearly about extinction, spirituality, and technology. We propose that the conflictual interpretation of human–posthuman interactions can be overcome by embracing Čapek’s religiously and philosophically-inspired theory of altruism remediated by technology. We argue that this reinterpretation of altruism may strengthen the case for a more positive outlook on human–posthuman interactions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue AI and Religion)
20 pages, 694 KiB  
Article
Preliminary Research on the Social Attitudes toward AI’s Involvement in Christian Education in Vietnam: Promoting AI Technology for Religious Education
by Khoa Tran and Tuyet Nguyen
Religions 2021, 12(3), 208; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel12030208 - 19 Mar 2021
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 6782
Abstract
Artificial intelligence innovations, such as chatbots and specialized education suggestion tools, provide potential interactive and on-demand pedagogical engagement between non-Christians and Christians with Christianity. However, there is little empirical research on the readiness, acceptance, and adoption of religious education involvement of AI in [...] Read more.
Artificial intelligence innovations, such as chatbots and specialized education suggestion tools, provide potential interactive and on-demand pedagogical engagement between non-Christians and Christians with Christianity. However, there is little empirical research on the readiness, acceptance, and adoption of religious education involvement of AI in a secular state such as Vietnam. This research addresses the literature gap by providing an entrepreneurial analysis and customer perspectives on the ideas of AI involvement in religious education. Specifically, the study explores whether the Vietnamese across different ages accept and have enough skills to adopt AI in Christian education innovation. The interview sample is 32 participants, selected based on their religious orientation (Christians and non-Christians) and age (Generation X, Generation Y, and Generation Z). Most respondents are open to AI application in religious education except for Church personnel. However, only Generation Z are fully prepared to adopt this innovation. Theoretically, the research customizes the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology model into religious innovation context. Practically, this research acts as market research on the demand for AI’s religious innovation in Vietnam, an insight for future religious tech entrepreneurs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue AI and Religion)
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