Theological and Ethical Implications of Artificial Consciousness: An Analysis of AI Sentience from a Religious Perspective
Pharos Journal of Theology October 31, 2025 Sigit Hardiyanto, Arief Marizki Purba
Theological and ethical debates over artificial consciousness are examined through a qualitative synthesis of religious and scientific literature. Religious traditions view consciousness as an interplay of bodily and spiritual orders, conferring non-material significance, while AI research highlights replicable cognitive processing. Abrahamic theologies affirm an inviolable ontological threshold for humans, whereas selected Eastern traditions entertain a more porous conception that could accommodate artificial sentience. The study calls for a calibrated moral architecture that safeguards equitable, accountable, and human-centred AI evolution, counteracting technological idolatry, and advocates sustained interdisciplinary negotiation among theologians, researchers, and policymakers.