AI and Faith

As we wind up 2024, let’s celebrate all of our accomplishments in our cooperative organization and look ahead to the promise of continued impact in 2025. Read our 2024 recap here: https://lnkd.in/d3vhG66k

Welcome to the December issue of the AI and Faith Newsletter, our last one of 2024. We explore the theme of “AI as a Reflection of Us”. Check out our featured articles, interviews and more. View the newsletter here: https://lnkd.in/dcDb8p9r

Listen now to our last podcast episode of the year. Pablo Salmones interviewed Beth Singler, a professor who explores the social, ethical, philosophical and religious implications of advances in AI and robotics. They discussed how AI is impacting different cultures around the world and the ethical implications of AI in the internet culture: https://lnkd.in/dEeRFMPH 

As we reflect on 2024's most impactful discussions at the intersection of artificial intelligence and faith, we are excited to share the content that resonated most with our global AI&F community. From thought-provoking podcasts to in-depth articles, AI&F executive leadership team member Elias Kruger explores what captured our audience's attention this year. https://lnkd.in/dBEYWh-3

A church in Lucerne, Switzerland has installed an AI Jesus in a confessional setting. This is reminiscent of the Jesus kiosks in “Repair Man”, one of the stories from our anthology Faithful AI. Read more at Switzerland's AI Jesus answers questions of faith: https://lnkd.in/gSzQsNJY Listen to the podcast from our story here: Digital Relics in “Repair Man” and AI Jesus - AI and Faith: https://lnkd.in/d4hpSG69

A recent meeting, “Common Good: Theory and Practice,” held at Sala Pio XI in Vatican City on November 12, 2024, highlighted the principles of integral ecology and the critical need to redefine the concept of the ‘common good.’ In this piece, AI&F editor Yuriko Ryan provides an insightful review of the perspectives shared at this conference, as well as their bearing on how AI is used to further this new common good. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/drGss-zh

AI models often lean towards Western-centric perspectives, which makes AI more challenging for non-Western countries and companies to use. In Nigeria, religious leaders underscored the vital role of faith communities in shaping the country’s approach to artificial intelligence. They emphasized the significant influence of churches and mosques in Nigerian society, highlighting the need to deepen understanding of AI’s implications for faith, society, and governance. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/duaFwWWf

Our anthology “Faithful AI: Stories of Hope from 2045” is now $14.99 and it is a great gift idea for friends and family. The e-book version is on sale for $5.99. The book is available at Amazon: https://lnkd.in/dQ2n8XXp Read more about the book here: https://lnkd.in/dNBhTU-X 

Buddhism offers important insights to the impact of technologies on human beings. In this interview, AI&F editor Alex Sarkissian and AI&F advisor Dr. Peter Hershock discuss some of these important insights, as well as the pitfalls of using AI in spiritual practices. Listen to the interview in our podcast here: https://lnkd.in/gkENA2DY  You can also read a recap of the interview here: https://lnkd.in/gafXpAEQ

For today’s #WhoWeAreWednesday, we feature an interview with AI&F expert Dr. Mennatullah Hendawy. She is an interdisciplinary urban planner working toward equity and sustainability at the intersection of cities, media, and technology. Hendawy is one of the founding members of Cairo Urban AI, a project exploring the potential of using artificial intelligence to develop just and sustainable cities. She was the principal investigator of the Urban AI MOOC, part of the African Cities Lab initiative, funded by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs. Read more about her here: https://lnkd.in/dtXqirVK