God in the Machine: How AI is Reshaping Religious Practices

A glimpse at the intersection of artificial intelligence and religious belief systems.

Image by the author & Midjourney

Have you heard of Mindar, SanTO, or Theta Noir? Chances are we will soon hear from even more AI-powered priests, cult automation, and AI worshippers.

In this article, you will learn about

• a cult worshipping AI overlords,
• a bunch of AI-powered priests and saints (including a life-sized robot elephant),
• and the automation of sacred rituals.

Let’s have a look at how AI and robotics are beginning to reshape human belief systems.

Mindar

Kyoto, Japan. A 400-year-old temple is home to an android named Mindar, who is modeled after a folk saint (Kannon Bodhisattva). Despite criticism, the robot, which can deliver a 25-minute sermon, is celebrated for its potential “immortality” and was developed in a collaboration between its Kodaiji temple and robotics professor Hiroshi Ishiguro. Some see the preaching robot as a possible future for Buddhism (a move that cost about one million US dollars).