The Religion and Ethics Report - Separate stories podcast AI, ethics, and human identity: the new religious frontier
Jul 30, 2025
Professor Beth Singler, an expert in Digital Religions at the University of Zurich, dives into the uncharted waters of AI's relationship with faith. She discusses the potential for AI-generated imagery to mislead and the historical adaptability of religions to new technologies. Singler raises ethical concerns about AI writing sermons and explores the idea of AI as a spiritual entity. The conversation even touches on AI creating new belief systems and the implications of virtual spaces as escapist experiences. It's a thought-provoking journey into faith and technology.
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Viral Pope Image Exposed AI's Persuasive Power
- Dr. Beth Singler recounts the viral AI image of Pope Francis in a white puffer jacket that fooled many online.
- The image fit existing biases about the Church and spread quickly before people checked its authenticity.
Fake 'Letter From Jesus' Highlights Digital Frauds
- Dr. Beth Singler describes a fake handwritten letter allegedly from Jesus that was later debunked.
- She uses it to show how AI can produce digital illusions that persuade spiritual beliefs online.
AI Replaces Epistemic Labour In Religion
- AI threatens to replace epistemic labour like sermon writing and other thinking tasks in religious contexts.
- Dr. Beth Singler warns this raises ethical issues about plagiarism and permission for source material.
