Prospects and Contests of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on Religion and Society
Abstract
Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) has been known as the era of technological advancement with Artificial Intelligence (AI) as the primary driver. The 4IR era is characterized with convergence of technologies, rapid pace of change, ubiquitous connectivity, autonomous system, cyber physical system, serving as opportunities for innovation, growth and improvement. AI has paved the way for transformative changes in the way we live, the religion and society at large. The opportunity AI also poses diverse challenges to humanity. However, this paper is to look at the positive and negative sides of the AI, striking the balance on the effect of AI on lived realities. It also aims to identify the potential positive change of AI and addresses its complex challenges on the society. The paper proposes Machine Learning Theory, Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), Evolutionary Computation Theory and Hybrid Approaches Theory. The paper argues that the benefit AI has contributed are numerous and diverse, transforming various aspects of our lives from healthcare to education, religion activities, which has brought increased productivity, innovation and improved well-being. It also argues that despite the numerous benefits, there areas of concern that require critical caution, such as security risk.
Keywords
Artificial IntelligenceReligionSocietyFourth Industrial Revolution
References
Afolaranmi, Adebayo Ola (2024). Interplay between Conflict Resolution and ChatGPT: A Review of Selected Literature. The Pastoral Counsellors: Journal of Nigerian Association of Pastoral Counsellors, 3(1), 266–276. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.12798989 AI Now Institute. (2019). AI Now 2019 Report. Retrieved from https://ainowinstitute.org/publication/ai-now-2019-report-2 Alpaydin, E. (2020). Machine learning. MIT Press. Retrieved from https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262028189/introduction-to-machine-learning/ Arora, P. (2020). AI in Religious Organizations: Operational Efficiency and Spiritual Guidance. Journal of Religious Leadership Back, T. (1996). Evolutionary algorithms in theory and practice: Evolution strategies, evolutionary programming, genetic algorithms. Oxford University Press. Bansal, P., Kockelman, K. M., & Singh, A. (2019). Assessing public opinions on autonomous vehicles: A comparative analysis of the US and India. Transportation Research Part C: Emerging Technologies. Bostrom, N. (2014). Superintelligence: Paths, dangers, strategies. Oxford University Press. Bostrom, N., & Yudkowsky, E. (2014). The ethics of artificial intelligence. In The Cambridge handbook of artificial intelligence. Buckles, Shawn (2024, March 8) What does the Bible say about artificial intelligence? Retrieved from https://wisdomshort.com/books/bible/on-artificial-intelligence Bunt, G., & Campbell, H. (2018). Spirituality in the Digital Age: Online Communities and Religious Engagement. Journal of Digital Religion. Campbell, H., & Tsuria, R. (2021). Digital Religion: Understanding religious practice in digital media. Routledge. Coeckelbergh, M. (2020). AI Ethics: The Role of Religion and Spirituality. AI & Society Dawkins, R. (1986). The blind watchmaker: Why the evidence of evolution reveals a universe without design. W.W. Norton & Company. De Jong, K. A. (2006). Evolutionary computation: A unified approach. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/220740669_Evolutionary_Computation_A_ Unified_Approach Eiben, A., & Smith, J. (2007). Introduction to Evolutionary Computing. Springer Science & Business Media. Ellen (2024, January 18) Artificial Intelligence and the Bible. Retrieved from https://westpark- baptist.com/artificial-intelligence-and-the-bible/ Fogel, D. B. (2006). Evolutionary computation: Toward a new philosophy of machine intelligence. IEEE Press. Ford, M. (2015). Rise of the robots: Technology and the threat of a jobless future. Basic Books. Gartner. (2020). Gartner forecasts worldwide AI revenue to reach $190 billion by 2025. Retrieved from https://www.gartner.com/en/documents/4007140 Geeksforgeeks (2024, July 3) Difference Between Artificial Intelligence and Human Intelligence. Retrieved from https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/difference-between- artificial-intelligence-and-human-intelligence/?ref=oin_asr3 Goertzel, B. (2014). Artificial general intelligence. Retrieved from https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-19907-3 Goldberg, D. E. (1989). Genetic algorithms in search, optimization, and machine learning. Addison-Wesley. Guta, A. (2020). Muslim perspectives on artificial intelligence: A systematic review. Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs Hastie, T., Tibshirani, R., & Friedman, J. (2013). The elements of statistical learning: Data mining, inference, and prediction. Springer. He, W., Yang, X., & Jiang, Y. (2019). Artificial intelligence in finance: A review. Journal of Financial Data Science. Holland, J. H. (1975). Adaptation in natural and artificial systems: An introductory analysis with applications to biology, control, and artificial intelligence. University of Michigan Press. Kanade, Vijay (2022, February 14) What Is General Artificial Intelligence (AI)? Definition, Challenges, and Trends. Retrieved from https://www.spiceworks.com/tech/artificial- intelligence/articles/what-is-general-ai/ Kaplan, A., & Haenlein, M. (2019). Siri, Siri, in me: How virtual assistants affect our lives. Business Horizons. Kearney, M. (2020). Personalized Learning in Religious Education: The Role of AI. Journal of Education and Religion, Khalid (2023, February 24) AI is Changing Religious Practices: Exploring the Benefits and Challenges Retrieved from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/ai-changing-religious- practices-exploring-benefits-challenges-al- Krawczyk, A. (2018). The impact of artificial intelligence on religious practices and rituals. Journal of Artificial Intelligence Research Kumar, A., Gupta, P., & Kumar, P. (2019). Artificial intelligence in healthcare: A review. Journal of Healthcare Engineering. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11831-021-09648-w Lee, J. (2019). The impact of artificial intelligence on religious beliefs and values. Journal of Religion and Society Manyika, J., Chui, M., Bisson, P., Woetzel, J., & Stolyar, K. (2017). A future that works: Automation, employment, and productivity. McKinsey Global Institute. McGowan, T. (2019). The Soul of the Machine: AI and Theology. Theology Today. Retrieved from https://www.zygonjournal.org/article/14871/galley/30119/download/ Miller, D. (2019). Data-Driven Faith: Using AI to Understand Religious Communities. Journal of Religious Research. Papacharissi, Z. (2016). Affective Publics: Sentiment, Technology, and Politics. Oxford University Press. ProjectPro (2024, April 10) 15 Popular Machine Learning Frameworks for Model Training. Retrieved from https://www.projectpro.io/article/machine-learning-frameworks/509 Scott, J. (2021). Faith and Technology: The Future of Religion in an AI World. Journal of Theology and Technology Thacker, Jason (2024) What Does the Bible Say about Artificial Intelligence? Retrieved from https://www.zondervan.com/what-does-the-bible-say-about-artificial-intelligence/ Tsuria, R. (2021). Worshipping in the Age of AI: Authenticity and Experience. Journal of Digital Religion Turkle, S. (2015). Reclaiming conversation: The power of talk in a digital age. Penguin Books. Wagner, R. (2019). Christian perspectives on artificial intelligence: A systematic review. Journal of Christian Education Wallach, W. (2017). AIs, robots, and the future of work: A review of the literature. Journal of Economic Issues. WEF (2018). The future of jobs report 2018. World Economic Forum. Retrieved from https://www.weforum.org/publications/the-future-of-jobs-report-2018/ Zawacki-Richter, O., Alturki, U., & Aldraiweesh, A. (2019). Review of artificial intelligence in education: What is the state of the art? Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange.
More Articles from INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AND MANAGEMENT RESEARCH
Building National Analytics Capacity: Advances and Future Pathways
Author: Uchechi Mary-Linda Unamma, Ifeanyichukwu Jeffrey Okwesa, Uzoamaka Iwuanyanwu
Root-Cause and Thematic Analysis for Major Incident Management: A Review
Author: Ifeanyichukwu Jeffrey Okwesa, Uchechi Mary-Linda Unamma, Uzoamaka Iwuanyanwu
Data-Quality and Single-Source-Of-Truth Frameworks for Inter- Agency Reporting: A Review
Author: Uchechi Mary-Linda Unamma, Ifeanyichukwu Jeffrey Okwesa, Uzoamaka Iwuanyanwu
Human-In-The-Loop Decision Systems: Advances and Future Directions
Author: Funmilayo Ashore-Onisemo, Uchechi Mary-Linda Unamma, Ifeanyichukwu Jeffrey, Okwesa,
Roles of Oil Subsidy Removal on Transportation Cost and Water Factory in Cross River South, Nigeria
Author: Onwuzurike Peter Tobechi, Owoh Akwa Owoh, Unoh Grace Inyang, Umaru Musa