Pinned
5
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Welcoming new associates

9.9.2024

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.

Omar Al-Naggar is a Robotics and Automation Engineer with extensive experience in AI research, focusing on computer vision and robotics in Silicon Valley's tech industry. He has received comprehensive training at Zaytuna College in Comparative Theology of Abrahamic Faiths and Eastern Religions, Ethics, Legal Theory, the Higher Objectives of the Law, and Moral Philosophy. Dedicated to advancing AI ethics, Omar has lectured on Engineering Ethics at the University of California's College of Engineering. He applies normative ethical frameworks—such as Aristotelian Virtue Ethics, Kantian Deontology, and Utilitarianism—to complex engineering challenges, while critically addressing their limitations and exploring solutions. His unique blend of technical expertise and ethical scholarship positions him at the forefront of discussions on the ethical implications of emerging technologies.

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Pinned
5
min read

Welcoming new associates

The Commission is proud to announce Dr Chinmay Pandya, Dr Beth Singler, and Dr Nathan Mladin as the new members of our Associates Programme. The programme aims to create a collaborative community of individuals and organisations interested in the intersection of AI, faith, and civil society.

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.

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