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"Blessed by the algorithm": Theistic conceptions of artificial intelligence in online discourse.
1Junior Research Fellow in Artificial Intelligence, Homerton College, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, England.
AI & Society
|May 2, 2020
Summary
People perceive algorithmic outcomes as divine fortune, revealing theistic AI narratives. This challenges secularization theories and highlights AI
Area of Science:
- Anthropology of Religion
- Science and Technology Studies
- Sociology of Digital Culture
Background:
- The phrase "blessed by the algorithm" reflects user experiences of perceived fortune in social media feeds, content virality, and gig economy opportunities.
- This phenomenon can be interpreted through the lens of theistic Artificial Intelligence (AI) narratives, where AI is conceptualized in implicitly religious terms.
- Existing research on the "entanglements of AI and Religion" provides a foundation for exploring these theistic AI conceptions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore how "blessed by the algorithm" tweets signify the influence of theistic AI narratives.
- To analyze how these narratives challenge secularization theses and grand narratives of disenchantment.
- To investigate the entanglement of technological and religious aspirations in new religious movements through theistic AI conceptions.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of social media discourse, specifically "blessed by the algorithm" tweets.
- Application of anthropological fieldwork findings on AI and religion.
- Theoretical engagement with secularization theories and concepts of disenchantment.
Main Results:
- Tweets using "blessed by the algorithm" indicate a widespread tendency to frame AI interactions in religious or spiritual terms.
- This theistic framing of AI challenges the notion that technological progress inevitably leads to secularization.
- The study identifies a connection between theistic AI conceptions and the merging of technological and religious goals in contemporary movements.
Conclusions:
- Theistic AI narratives are a significant aspect of contemporary digital culture, demonstrating a persistent religiosity.
- These narratives complicate linear understandings of secularization, suggesting religion adapts rather than disappears with technological advancement.
- The entanglement of AI and religious aspirations warrants further study, particularly within new religious movements and broader societal discourse.
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