Religious Actors as Friction Creators Shaping the AI Dialogue

Whittney Barth ()
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Whittney Barth: Center for the Study of Law and Religion, Emory University School of Law, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA

Laws, 2025, vol. 14, issue 5, 1-17

Abstract: The unfolding story of AI is just as much a story about us as it is about technology, and the complete arc of this story remains to be seen. Commentators are urging humans to engage in proactive dialogue to shape that story. Some religious actors (encompassing both organizations and individuals) are choosing to engage. This Article argues that, in doing so, these religious actors act as friction creators in the discussion and development of AI tools, ethics, and regulation. Drawing on the concept of friction from different disciplines, including scholarship from law, civic design, and anthropology, this Article explores how religious actors infuse into this dialogue insights and commitments that often run counter to prevailing assumptions that often overlook concerns for human dignity, transparency, and concern for human rights, among other values.

Keywords: artificial intelligence; religion; law; ethics; interfaith; dialogue (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D78 E61 E62 F13 F42 F68 K0 K1 K2 K3 K4 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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