Pinned
3
min read

AI APPG Event: 'The Impact of AI on Our Spiritual and Cultural Lives’

16.12.2024

Introduction

On December 2, 2024, the AI Faith and Civil Society Commission partnered with the Artificial Intelligence All-Party Parliamentary Group (AI APPG) to host an event exploring the transformative impact of AI on spirituality and culture.

The AI APPG is supported by its Secretariat, provided by the Big Innovation Centre think tank, which is appointed by Parliament and led by Professor Birgitte Andersen.

Summary of Event

The AI APPG boasts a cross-party membership of 27 Members of Parliament and 20 Peers, Co-chaired by Lord Clement-Jones CBE and Alison Gardner MP, the session brought together 5 influential speakers and over 100 engaged participants to tackle one of the most pressing issues of our time: how can we ensure AI enhances, rather than diminishes our spiritual and cultural lives?

Nicole Pearson of the AI, Faith and Civil Society Commission opened the event by highlighting the work of the Commission. She outlined the Commission’s unique mission: to bridge the gap between AI discourse and faith perspectives, weaving together diverse voices to safeguard what it means to be human in the face of rapid technological change.

Steven Croft, The Rt. Rev the Lord Bishop of Oxford, opened the discussion by calling for human engagement and interaction at the heart of policymaking. He also discussed the importance of engaging with the Church as well as other faiths in the development of AI. The Church, he argued, must be listened to in AI conversations since it brings a global international perspective, and particularly a global south perspective, a passionate concern for justice, a concern for human purpose and human flourishing, and an honest appraisal of human weakness and error. He finished by urging governments to draw on faith traditions as reservoirs of ethical wisdom.

Silkie Carlo, Director of Big Brother Watch and a practising Buddhist, focused on the immediate harms AI poses, highlighting how AI is already impacting lives in, for example, the criminal justice system and healthcare. She criticised the gap in current AI regulations, which prioritise hypothetical “frontier risks” over the immediate human rights implications of AI technologies. Carlo raised concerns about AI’s impact on accountability, human rights, war, privacy and surveillance, and the brain and mind, calling for urgent, human-centred legislation to address these pressing concerns.

From the world of film, Roseita Royce, President of the British Film Festival, warned of AI’s growing influence in the media, where data harvesting and the manipulation of human emotion is already prevalent to increase profits. She cautioned that, without effective controls, AI could significantly increase the amount of data collected, thereby exacerbating existing power imbalances and creating significant ethical risks.

Simon Belsham, founder of The Healing Company, shifted the lens to the spiritual crisis of the modern age, exacerbated by the rise of consumerism and capitalism which has left people spiritually malnourished and unhappy. He explained that AI has exacerbated the crisis of meaning, thriving on engagement and comparison over truth and threatening human purpose through its ability to replicate human capabilities. In response to this crisis of meaning, Belsham noted a growing interest in spirituality and a search for deeper purpose in this age of uncertainty. He argued that AI can only be a force for good if it takes seriously the importance of spirituality and if it aligns with humanity's highest ideals. He proposed several recommendations for policymakers, including the creation of a national well-being index, the development of ethical AI regulation through collaboration and investments in community-building initiatives to counteract AI’s divisive tendencies. 

Finally, Kate Devlin, Professor of Artificial Intelligence and Society at King’s College London and Patron of Humanists UK, discussed AI’s potential to reshape cultural identities, particularly through its influence on creativity and intellect. From the threat of cultural homogenisation to the impact on job availability, Devlin called for stronger global protections and copyright laws to ensure AI serves humanity’s diverse cultural identities. 

The floor then opened up to questions, covering a wide range of topics, including the use of generative AI companions for bereavement support, the development of a code of AI Ethics, the potential for AI Robots to become identical to humans, and much more. The lively dialogue underscored the necessity of cross-disciplinary collaboration to tackle the profound challenges presented by AI.

Speakers were united in calling for comprehensive regulations, greater inclusion of diverse perspectives, and a focus on human flourishing. As the evening concluded, it was clear this was just the beginning of a larger, critical conversation, which the AI Faith and Civil Society Commission is committed to continuing to facilitate moving forwards.

Visit the APPG AI on Pavilion Platform to know more about the APPG AI, access their resources or join their network: https://bicpavilion.com/

G
Pinned
3
min read

AI APPG Event: 'The Impact of AI on Our Spiritual and Cultural Lives’

On 2 December 2024, the AI Faith and Civil Society Commission, joined forces with the Artificial Intelligence All-Party Parliamentary Group (AI APPG) to host an event exploring AI’s transformative influence on our spiritual and cultural lives.

The Commission is proud to announce three new members of our Associates Programme, that aims to create a collaborative community of individuals and organisations interested in the intersection of AI, faith, and civil society. They will have the opportunity to participate in Commission events, contribute to discussions, and showcase their AI-related work on the Commission's platform.

Dr Chinmay Pandya is the Editor of the Dev Sanskriti, an Interdisciplinary International Journal that addresses a abroad range of Indian intellectual interests and religious pedagogies. He is responsible to guide the ethos, academic rigour and policy implementation at DSVV. Dr Pandya is also the Chairperson of the International Festival of Yoga, Culture and Spirituality and has convened more than two hundred national and international colloquia at DSVV; and is the Co-founder of the First Centre for Baltic Culture and Studies of Asia, Founder of the South Asian Institute for Peace & Reconciliation and a Member of the ICCR Governing Council


Dr Nathan Mladin is a Senior Researcher at the think tank Theos in London. His research, speaking and writing focus on technology ethics and theology of culture. He holds a PhD in Systematic Theology from Queen’s University Belfast and is the author of several publications, including Data and Dignity: Why Privacy Matters in the Digital Age (Theos, 2023) and AI and the Afterlife: From Digital Mourning to Mind Uploading (Theos, 2024). He is also author of ‘The Question of Surveillance Capitalism’ (with Stephen N Williams), a chapter in The Robot Will See You Now: Artificial Intelligence and the Christian Faith (SPCK, 2021).


Prof Dr Beth Singler is the Assistant Professor in Digital Religion(s) and co-lead of the Media Existential Encounters and Evolving Technology Lab at the University of Zurich where she leads projects on religion and AI. As an anthropologist, her research focusses on the human, and considers the religious, cultural, social, and ethical implications of developments in AI and robotics.  Her research has been recognised with awards, including the 2021 Digital Religion Research Award from the Network for New Media, Religion, and Digital Culture Studies. Her popular science communication work includes a series of award-winning short documentaries on AI, writing and presenting a BBC Radio 4 documentary on the cultural impact of The Terminator forty years on, popular publications, science festival talks, press interviews, and international media appearances. Beth has spoken about her research at Greenbelt, at the Hay Festival as one of the Hay 30 to watch, as well as at New Scientist Live, Ars Electronica, the Edinburgh Science Festival, the Cheltenham Science Festival, and has appeared several times on BBC Click and BBC Click Live, and on BBC Radio 3 for the Year of Blade Runner. She is co-editor of the Cambridge Companion to Religion and AI (2024) and author of Religion and AI: An Introduction (2024). Her publications, interviews, and talks are all available at bvlsingler.com.

G