Drs Cave, Dihal, and Dillon are funded by a Leverhulme Trust Research Centre Grant awarded to the for Future of Intelligence. Dr Singler was Templeton World Charitable Foundation grant during course AI narratives project, Faraday Institute Science Religion, St Edmund's College, Cambridge.

Abstract “My first long haul flight that didn’t fill up and an empty row for me. I have been blessed by the algorithm ”. The phrase ‘blessed algorithm’ expresses feeling of having fortunate in what appears on your feed various social media platforms, or success virality content as a creator, gig economy jobs you are offered. However, we can also place it within wider public discourse employing theistic conceptions AI. Building anthropological fieldwork into ‘entanglements AI Religion’...

This introduction to the special issue of Journal Implicit Religion on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and religion will explore some initial but important reasons why interplay between these two fields should be interest religious studies scholar. After introducing AI as well elements its cultural history narratives, this article lay out three arguments for researching religion. First, that potential disruption wrought by effect society, society are intrinsically intertwined changes have...

Through a consideration of examples the AI Creation Meme, remix Michelangelo’s Creazione di Adamo featuring human hand and machine nearly touching, fingertip to fingertip, this article will tackle religious continuities resonances that still emerge in discourse an allegedly ‘secular age’. The as highly visible cultural artefact appearing variety forms locations, be analyzed discussed for its religious, apocalyptic, post-humanist narratives, along with reference earlier work on New Visibility...

Abstract Drawing on observations from on‐ and offline fieldwork among transhumanists artificial superintelligence/singularity‐focused groups, this article will explore an anthropology of anxiety around the hoped for, or feared, posthuman future. It lay out some varieties existential hope despair found in these discussions about predicted events such as “end world” place them within anthropological theoretical framework. Two examples be considered. First, optimism observed at a transhumanist...

Lewis (2003) identifies three strategies of legitimation used by New Religions: rationality-tradition-charisma. Using the case Jediism and uk Censuses 2001 2011, this article refutes argument that invented-ness, or self-conscious creation, some Religious Movements prevents their strategic reference to tradition for legitimation. Instead, explores a more contemporary understanding takes into account how it can work online. Virtual ethnographic methods are examine e-mail campaigns prior...

Will artificial intelligence create a religion?"I have been asked this on several occasions, often after public presentation of my research aI and religion, or during podcast.I do not attempt to answer question, which is beyond an anthropological approach.Here I will explore what online answers question tell us about how aI, their relationship are viewed by the public.However, found elsewhere demonstrate common views influence parallels with existing theories religion.There broadly two...

Contemporary conversational AI systems based on large language models (LLMs) can engage users a wide variety of topics, including philosophy, spirituality, and religion. Suitably prompted, LLMs be coaxed into discussing such existentially significant matters as their own putative consciousness the role artificial intelligence in fate Cosmos. Here we examine two lengthy conversations this type. We trace likely sources, both ancient modern, for extensive repertoire images, myths, metaphors,...

Academic interest in the New Age movement has focused primarily on emic narratives of hope and utopianism that term “New Age” appears to exemplify. A particular example is concept Indigo Children, described as an intuitive, spiritual generation appearing since late 1970s usher a golden age. In this article I argue perceived uniqueness Child concept’s demedicalization problems such autism ADHD have created which “Big Pharma” seen conspiring create disorders, damaging vaccinations, harmful...

In 2010 a thought experiment speculating on the motivations and aims of potential superintelligent Artificial Intelligence, sometimes known as ‘Singularity’, caused uproar anxiety forum board where it was initially posted. This paper considers that experiment’s debt to older forms religious argument, reactions from among community, how expectations about Singularity being with agency can be considered an example implicit religion. is significant appeared in field research, AI, by many...

-

This article reflect upon fieldwork among the ‘Indigo Children’, researcher’s encounter with them as self-identified non-ordinary beings, and changes in researcher through ethnographic experience.  The Child’ is a concept that emerged at beginning of 1980s: self-proclaimed psychics, channellers therapists such Nancy Ann Tappe, Lee Carroll, Jan Tober, Doreen Virtue wrote books explaining Indigo Children more spiritually evolved generation.  They are described being here to bring about golden...

Collins-Mayo, S., and P. Dandelion (eds). 2010. Religion Youth. Aldershot: Ashgate. xxi + 278 pp. ISBN 978-0-7546-6768-1. Pbk. £17.99. Bailey, M., G. Reddon Mediating Faiths: Socio-Cultural Change in the 21st Century. xiii 239 978-0-7546-6786-5. Hbk. £55.