Can artificial intelligence (AI) attain human-level consciousness? And if so, should the church minister salvation to AI? Through engaging philosophy of mind, AI research, the cognitive sciences, neuroscience, and theological anthropology, Dr. Bellini attempts to answer these questions. The hypothesis is if the hard problem of consciousness can be solved, and if human consciousness is replicable in AI, then attaining artificial general conscious intelligence (AGCI) is possible, and perhaps needs to be evangelized or discipled, as some claim. On the contrary, if the hard problem of consciousness cannot be solved and human consciousness is not replicable in AI, then AGCI is not possible, and it does not need to be evangelized. And in either case, how can the church begin a theological conversation with AI with its potential to match and exceed human intelligence and performance? A theological position on consciousness and the image of God is proposed, demonstrating the uniqueness of human consciousness in contrast with AI and artificial consciousness. A thorough exposition of the image of God is offered to serve as a cornerstone for any future conversation on a theological perspective of machines (AI).

This book focuses on the idea of the imago Dei to engaging theologically with artificial intelligence (AI). It reflects on how enormous progress in the development of AI has raised some challenges to Christian theology. Questions explored include: is AI created in the imago Dei? If so, does AI challenge the uniqueness of the human being as the imago Dei? If not, could AI be incorporated into human communities as a human companion in the same way as a natural human person? Would AI eventually develop to have human-level consciousness and be capable of performing liturgies and ethical actions? Bringing to light the radical distinction between the imago Dei and the imago hominis, the book constructs a theo-ontological foundation for AI and draws on the Reformed theology of archetype–ectype as a metaphysical tool to deploy a holistic account of the imago Dei in theology–AI dialogues. The author argues that the imago Dei is the signifier of the beginning both of God–human stories and stories of human ethical performances towards others. From the perspective of the image of the imago Dei, it can be argued that AI can somehow participate into the narration of these religious and ethical stories. This book will be of particular interest to scholars of theology and those working in the field of religion and science/technology.

John Williamson Nevin’s life has never been given the full attention that it deserves. That may be due in part to the controversial nature of his thinking. Yet in many respects, his enormous contribution to American religious history is acknowledged by those who have read him. He stood out as the great advocate of evangelical catholicism, and his call for a thorough examination of the place of the church in nineteenth-century theology was revolutionary. It was Nevin who first saw the threat to the church in the erosion of faith in the church as a divine institution sacramentally entrusted by God with the reclamation of the whole world—an erosion that occurred well before the Civil War in the hypersubjectivity of Protestant America.

Twenty-first century life is increasingly governed by artificial intelligence (AI) technologies such as machine learning, big data analysis, facial recognition, and robotics. For decades, an ideology of apocalyptic progress and cosmic transformation has accompanied the advancement of AI in the United States; that vision is intimately connected to transhumanism, the idea that humanity can transcend its limits, even mortality, using technology. Based on contributions from science and science fiction, advocates of such apocalyptic AI suggest that the world will soon see godlike machine intelligence and that human beings will upload their minds into immortal machine bodies. The arrival of this ideology in India raises questions about how global cultures can contribute to AI technology and our beliefs about AI. These beliefs have gained a foothold in Indian visions of AI, but they have not been accepted uncritically; rather, Indian scientists and futurists revise the transhumanist vision and illustrate how traditional Hindu values can add to the global perspective. By describing the arrival and reconfiguration of transhumanist ideas in India, this book reveals how the nexus of religion and technology contributes to public life and our modern self-understanding while suggesting that the apocalyptic approach to AI should be tempered by other visions. By tracing the movement of apocalyptic AI into India and exploring Indian efforts to redefine those transhumanist aspirations, Futures of Artificial Intelligence opens the door for rethinking our global approach to AI and advocates for technologies and visions of technology that advance human flourishing.

THE TOP TEN SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER 'Bristles with pure, crystalline intelligence, deep knowledge and human sympathy' Richard Dawkins Is modernity really failing? Or have we failed to appreciate progress and the ideals that make it possible? If you follow the headlines, the world in the 21st century appears to be sinking into chaos, hatred, and irrationality. Yet Steven Pinker shows that this is an illusion - a symptom of historical amnesia and statistical fallacies. If you follow the trendlines rather than the headlines, you discover that our lives have become longer, healthier, safer, happier, more peaceful, more stimulating and more prosperous - not just in the West, but worldwide. Such progress is no accident: it's the gift of a coherent and inspiring value system that many of us embrace without even realizing it. These are the values of the Enlightenment: of reason, science, humanism and progress. The challenges we face today are formidable, including inequality, climate change, Artificial Intelligence and nuclear weapons. But the way to deal with them is not to sink into despair or try to lurch back to a mythical idyllic past; it's to treat them as problems we can solve, as we have solved other problems in the past. In making the case for an Enlightenment newly recharged for the 21st century, Pinker shows how we can use our faculties of reason and sympathy to solve the problems that inevitably come with being products of evolution in an indifferent universe. We will never have a perfect world, but - defying the chorus of fatalism and reaction - we can continue to make it a better one.

In the midst of a technology revolution and the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), we all need to understand the relationship between humans and technology. Social media, data surveillance, biometrics, genomics and cryptocurrencies dominate news and public debate, but there is often little consideration given to issues like how our data could be used in the future, the risks of genomic research, or responsibility for decisions made by AI.Techno argues that we are all responsible for contributing to how technology is used, to ensure that society will benefit from it. With clarity and purpose, Marcus Smith explores how technology is affecting government, individuals and society; and the need to act, before it' s too late. This must-read book offers critical insights on the emerging technologies we use every day and the implications for us.

Standing on the riches of humanity’s holy books and traditions, drawing on our wealth of scientific and technological knowledge, and injecting his own creativity and humour, Yoda Oraiah presents his readers with a potential new religion—Cosmism. Cosmism: A New Hope for Humanity is a thorough exploration of human belief and creed through history, accompanied by an exhaustive detailing of a new way, a new understanding, and an inspired approach to life. Cosmism is a Space Age philosophical model and belief system that is built upon the aspects of intelligence and consciousness present in the universe. It sees the entire Cosmos as God and humans as part and parcel of this great orderly system we seem to live in. Cosmists believe that since we are part of this Cosmos, we have the capacity to influence its life and evolution, and our relationship with this greatest system is something important to recognize and cherish in our lives. Hard-hitting, thought-provoking, and entertaining, Cosmism: A New Hope for Humanity will challenge readers to explore their place in the Cosmos and their relationship with its other inhabitants.

In Our Image brilliantly illuminates who we are as humans by demonstrating the surprisingly deep parallels between our motivations to replicate ourselves through computer technology and our emerging understanding of ourselves as relational beings created in God's image. This book is required reading for anyone--Christian or non-Christian--intrigued by the possibility of artificial intelligence.

"This book focuses on the idea of the imago Dei to engage theologically with artificial intelligence (AI). It reflects on how enormous progress in the development of AI has raised some challenges to Christian theology. Questions explored include: Is AI created in the imago Dei? If so, does AI challenge the uniqueness of the human being as the imago Dei? If not, could AI be incorporated into human communities as a human companion in the same way as a natural human person? Would AI eventually develop to have human-level consciousness and be capable of performing liturgies and ethical actions? Bringing to light the radical distinction between the imago Dei and the imago hominis, the book constructs a theo-ontological foundation for AI and draws on the Reformed theology of archetype-ectype as a metaphysical tool to deploy a holistic account of the imago Dei in theology-AI dialogues. The author argues that the imago Dei is the signifier of the beginning both of God-human stories and of stories of human ethical performances towards others. From the perspective of the image of the imago Dei, it can be argued that AI can somehow participate into the narration of these religious and ethical stories. The book will be of particular interest to scholars of theology and those working in the field of religion and science/technology"--