Domradio report on current research project on religion and artificial intelligence

What role does artificial intelligence (AI) play in a religious context? And how does the understanding of religious authority change when digital systems are involved? These are the questions addressed by the interdisciplinary research network led by ZeMKI member Prof. Dr. Kerstin Radde-Antweiler and Prof. Dr. Ilona Nord (University of Würzburg). The focus is on the relationship between religion, agency, and digitalization.

Domradio recently published a report on the research, which deals with the following topics: The network is called CARD (“Conceptualizing Agency, Religion, and Digitalization”) and brings together researchers from 13 different disciplines, including theology, religious studies, sociology, philosophy, media studies, computer science, and psychology. Scientists from the USA, Sweden, Norway, and the Netherlands are also involved. The aim of the project is to develop theoretical foundations for a better understanding of the interaction between religion, humans, and digital technologies. In particular, it examines how religious practices are changing in the digital transformation. The results will be published in a handbook and will prepare the ground for an international follow-up project starting in 2028.