The November American Academy of Religion conference in Boston drew approximately 7,000 attendees this year, with AI-related sessions generating significant interest and discussion. The papers on AI revealed a notable pattern: most talks devoted the majority of their time to empirical and technological aspects, leaving brief windows for theological reflection. This is a balance that sparked conversation among participants, though often at a fairly entry level, to be frank. AI and Faith Research Director Mark Graves’ presentation, as noted below, was certainly an exception.
At the regional council meeting on Friday as the conference was kicking off, in which Greg Cootsona, our executive director and vice president of AAR’s western region, took part. The conversation highlighted strong participation across the AAR’s regions and outlined new regional development grants to support sustainable initiatives and student travel, underlining a broader energy around the conference.
Our AI and Faith community was well represented throughout the weekend. On Saturday evening, Mark Graves and Greg were at the Science and Religion Hospitality Event, which attracted around 120 attendees. At that event, Greg introduced his new role with AI and Faith and our mission, setting the stage for about two and half hours of subsequent individual conversations that Mark and Greg had with other thought leaders in science, technology, and religion.
In addition to these gatherings, conversations with AAR regional and national leaders highlighted ways AI and Faith might partner around emerging grant opportunities and strategic planning for future regional programming. On Sunday night, thirteen experts from our AIF network gathered for dinner, which created a vibrant dialogue about our work at the intersection of artificial intelligence and religious life and thought.
Additionally, Mark delivered a paper on compassionate AI and AI moral agency that generated considerable interest. Greg presented research on Reformed theological conceptions of human depravity with surprising implications for AI. These exchanges reflect the vital and developing conversation our community is shaping at the intersection of technology and faith.
More broadly, the AI and Religion program unit featured work on AI-mediated intimacy and emotional capitalism, AI’s legal and ethical implications in the workplace, AI-assisted translation of Buddhist texts, and the role of AI in womanist visual culture and theo-moral imagination. At the business meeting, participants proposed future themes ranging from AI consciousness and compassionate ethics to pedagogical practices and environmental concerns. Together, these threads point to a rapidly maturing field in which AI and Faith is playing an increasingly constructive role.
AAR is a diverse and exciting gathering that happens every year, and it’s almost impossible to summarize. Nevertheless, I hope this provides a reasonable snapshot.
Views and opinions expressed by authors and editors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the view of AI and Faith or any of its leadership.
