Are Religious Machines Possible? Embodied Cognition, AI, and Religious Behavior

Abstract

This article explores the potential emergence of religious behavior in artificial intelligence (AI) through the lens of embodied cognition, which asserts that cognitive functions are deeply intertwined with bodily experiences. It examines the convergence of AI, soft robotics, and religious cognitive behaviors and suggests that AI, once it attains human-level intelligence and self-awareness, might exhibit religious behaviors as a cognitive strategy to confront and transcend finitude. Drawing on neuroscientific, philosophical, and religious discussions, with particular reference to the works of Kingson Man, Antonio Damasio, Uffe Schjødt, and William Sims Bainbridge, this article investigates how religious behaviors could arise in AI equipped with a vulnerable artificial body inclined towards homeostasis and self-preservation. The outcomes of this exploration extend beyond theoretical debates, as they provide insights into the physicalist understanding of consciousness and the naturalistic study of religious behaviors while also considering some technological constraints in the context of AI advancements.