Artificial Intelligence and Spirituality: "Hey Alexa, What happens when I die?"

How should Alexa answer the question: “What happens when I die?” What should Siri say when asked: “Why is there evil in the world?” Should Google try to respond when someone says: “Hey Google, is there a God?”

AI algorithms have the power to create groups, select and prioritize the delivery of information and make a wide variety of suggestions to people.

This means there are important ethical decisions being made somewhat autonomously that potentially shape our lives; our thinking, our relationships and our actions.  These decisions are difficult to see and understand for the users of these technologies and, increasingly, the creators of them as machines learn against an ever-changing sea of data and harvested user behaviors incomprehensible to any human. This requires understanding the power and meaning of AI-based technologies in everyday life.

We are pleased to host Shanen Boettcher, a PhD student at the University of St…