To make AI morally good, tech companies are turning to religion. But some say it isn’t that simple

As artificial intelligence advances, tech firms are grappling with the question of how to imbue AI with moral values. Some companies are turning to religion for guidance. Chris Olah, co-founder of Anthropic, remarked that "these are not questions a lab can answer." Instead, they point to traditions that have "carried for millennia."

This religious input comes amid concerns about the potential dangers of AI and debates over creating morally sound models. Executives are consulting philosophers and faith leaders to gain insights, under the assumption that religion can inform AI to exhibit moral behavior in an environment fraught with fears and uncertainties. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has suggested that ChatGPT should "reflect that weighted average, or whatever, of humanity's moral view."

However, experts and adherents alike caution that this approach fails to consider the diverse and often contradictory nature of different traditions and worldviews. Scholars argue that religion is more than a simple set of rules or principles. It encompasses cultural, political, and personal aspects that are difficult to extract and apply universally.

If AI companies rely on religion to extract moral principles and train AI, they risk prioritizing certain traditions while distorting others, especially for faiths that do not primarily view themselves as ethical systems, according to Webb Keane, an anthropologist at the University of Michigan.

While some meetings between tech companies and religious leaders have been diverse and thoughtful, like those at Anthropic, there are concerns that such engagements may further perpetuate an inadequate theory of religion. This theory, which treats religion as merely a rulebook, neglects the importance of doctrine, ritual, and relationships. Believers acknowledge that tech companies are striving to be more conscientious, but they insist the companies are making an effort to engage with religion in a meaningful way.