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Science and religion are sometimes saved in two distinct containers that hardly intersect. Nevertheless, I consider that as AI turns into extra mainstream, it is going to basically alter our engagement with religion and spirituality.
Let’s begin by taking a look at what’s already taking place. Most historic faith-related texts have been documented in papyrus and palm leaves, lots of that are tough to entry within the trendy world as a result of two challenges.
First, a variety of these historic texts which might be nonetheless obtainable are in fragments, a few of which might crumble at any time. Second, for texts which have been digitised already, the language utilized in them is thought solely to some individuals as we speak and subsequently the texts stay inaccessible to most.
AI is altering this panorama basically by making entry to them simple. A preferred instance from 2023 confirmed how pc scientists from the College of Kentucky had used AI to disclose the contents of carbonised papyrus that was burnt within the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD79.
Scientists appeared by 3D X-ray photographs of the papyrus. They skilled AI to learn letters within the scrolls based mostly on refined adjustments left in construction of the papyrus by the traditional ink.
The AI was in a position to decipher and translate the traditional Greek phrase for “purple” on the scroll. Different historic texts from the Indian sub-continent, for instance, are within the Sanskrit language or Grantha script, which only a few individuals can learn and perceive as we speak.
Right here once more, AI techniques are utilizing language translation and textual content prediction to foretell lacking characters in previous inscriptions. Some start-ups use AI expertise referred to as small language fashions which might be skilled on Sanskrit texts to create an AI-Guru (AI-tutors) to information individuals by these texts. AI can be used to protect and assist to revive pale cave work.
Misinformation downside?
As with every different expertise, AI comes with its challenges. Essentially the most outstanding within the context of religion is more likely to be misinformation and misrepresentation. We have now already seen an instance of this final 12 months with the viral circulation of a deepfake picture of the pope. In that occasion, it was largely meant as a little bit of enjoyable.
Nevertheless, with the potential for the creation of deepfake photographs and voice cloning by AI costing as little as £10 (utilizing present on-line instruments akin to Eleven Labs and D-ID) we would not be too removed from extra worrying circumstances. Think about extremist organisations utilizing this expertise to create propaganda movies with the faked phrases of spiritual leaders or to misrepresent spiritual symbols.
Equally, language fashions skilled on extremist views might create outputs at scale to spew venom towards explicit religion teams, resulting in hate crimes and neighborhood tensions.
May AI truly depart us with extra time for religious pursuits?
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Futuristic imaginative and prescient of AI and religion
Let’s subsequent take a futuristic imaginative and prescient of AI and its intersection with religion. I wish to use the instance of my Hindu religion for example a 50-year future imaginative and prescient.
A key idea of the Hindu religion is purushartha, which outlines the 4 goals of human life: dharma (righteousness, ethical values), artha (prosperity, financial values), kama (pleasure, psychological values), and moksha (religious values, self-actualisation).
Within the subsequent 50–100 years, AI is more likely to develop into a co-pilot for all human endeavours together with decision-making. For sustaining righteousness or dharma on this planet, the algorithm and AI language fashions should be skilled on knowledge that’s truthful and morally proper.
This received’t be assured until we construct this into regulatory frameworks at present being drawn up for AI. The development in AI will naturally speed up humanity’s attainment of artha, or financial prosperity, as we enter a world of abundance with a number of technological convergences.
Primarily based on the clamour for options to the rising downside of societal inequality, we might see types of common fundamental earnings develop into the norm globally. This can release a variety of time – now spent on day jobs – for humanity to take up different pursuits. This may within the first occasion be extra time spent on pleasure or kama actions.
With extra high quality time on our fingers, we might even see a revival in religious and faith-related pursuits (moksha actions). That will be an attention-grabbing end result of AI’s rising affect on the world.
Sreevas Sahasranamam doesn’t work for, seek the advice of, personal shares in or obtain funding from any firm or organisation that might profit from this text, and has disclosed no related affiliations past their educational appointment.
