243 - Guest: Beth Singler, Anthropologist of Religion in AI, part 1

243 - Guest: Beth Singler, Anthropologist of Religion in AI, part 1

Author: aiandyou February 10, 2025 Duration: 34:12
This and all episodes at: https://aiandyou.net/ . On the recent wrap-up/predictions panel we had so much fascinating discussion about AI in religion with panelist Beth Singler that I said we should have her back on the show by herself to talk about that, so here she is! Beth is the Assistant Professor in Digital Religions and co-lead of the Media Existential Encounters and Evolving Technology Lab at the University of Zurich, where she leads projects on religion and AI. As an anthropologist, her research addresses the human, religious, cultural, social, and ethical implications of developments in AI and robotics.  She received the 2021 Digital Religion Research Award from the Network for New Media, Religion, and Digital Culture Studies. Her popular science communication work includes a series of award-winning short documentaries on AI. She is co-editor of the Cambridge Companion to Religion and AI, and author of Religion and AI: An Introduction, both published last year.  In part 1, we talk about why religion and AI is a thing and what its dimensions are, the influence of science fiction, tropes like End Times, AI used in religious roles, and the Singularity. Transcript and URLs referenced at HumanCusp Blog.        

The conversation around artificial intelligence is often filled with either breathless hype or dire warnings, leaving little room for grounded, practical understanding. Artificial Intelligence and You cuts through that noise. This isn't a lecture series from a distant ivory tower; it's a guided exploration meant for anyone curious about how these tools are reshaping the everyday. Each episode takes a focused look at a single facet of AI, from the algorithms curating your social media feed to the software that might change how you work. We break down complex concepts into clear, relatable terms, asking the questions that actually matter for your decisions and your future. You'll hear straightforward explanations of how different AI systems function, alongside thoughtful discussions about their real-world implications-the ethical dilemmas, the economic shifts, and the personal impacts that rarely make the headlines. The goal of this podcast is to replace confusion with clarity and anxiety with informed perspective. Whether you're a professional navigating new tools, a student planning a career, or simply a person living in an increasingly digital world, these conversations provide the context you need to form your own opinions. Join us as we move beyond the abstract to examine what AI genuinely means for your life, your community, and the kind of world we're all building together, one line of code at a time.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Artificial Intelligence and You
Podcast Episodes
255 - Guest: Diane Gutiw, AI Research Center Lead, part 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:14
This and all episodes at: https://aiandyou.net/ . How to manage the integration of AI at scale into the enterprise is the territory of today's guest, Diane Gutiw, Vice President and leader of the AI research center at th…
254 - Guest: Seth Baum, Global Catastrophic Risks Institute, part 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:25
This and all episodes at: https://aiandyou.net/ . We're talking about catastrophic risks, something that can be depressing for people who haven’t confronted these things before, and so I have had to be careful in talking…
253 - Guest: Seth Baum, Global Catastrophic Risks Institute, part 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:40
This and all episodes at: https://aiandyou.net/ . We're talking about catastrophic risks, something that can be depressing for people who haven’t confronted these things before, and so I have had to be careful in talking…
252 - Special: AI in Customer Service [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 18:33
This and all episodes at: https://aiandyou.net/ . AI will transform customer service. Large language models will provide superior customer interaction, whether by web or by telephone. They’ll answer instantly, always be…
251 - Special: AI's Existential Threat and Hope: Deconstructing TEDx [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:50
This and all episodes at: https://aiandyou.net/ . What if… aliens came to visit the Earth? And what does that have to do with AI? I’ve deconstructed two of my TEDx talks on this show, but before both of those I did one i…
250 - Special: Military Use of AI [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:03
This and all episodes at: https://aiandyou.net/ . In this special episode we are focused on the military use of AI, and making it even more special, we have not one guest but nine: Peter Asaro, co-founder and co-chair of…
249 - Guest: Adam Unikowsky, Attorney [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:15
This and all episodes at: https://aiandyou.net/ . The use of generative AI in legal practice has been in the news since lawyers filed briefs written by AI that contained completely fictional citations. But AI has moved p…
248 - Guest: Tim O'Reilly, Entrepreneur of Ideas, part 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:54
This and all episodes at: https://aiandyou.net/ . My guest has fundamentally reshaped the landscape of digital technology. Your experience of the Internet owes a large part of its identity to Tim O’Reilly, the founder, C…
247 - Guest: Tim O'Reilly, Entrepreneur of Ideas, part 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:58
This and all episodes at: https://aiandyou.net/ . My guest has fundamentally reshaped the landscape of digital technology. Your experience of the Internet owes a large part of its identity to Tim O’Reilly, the founder, C…
246 - Guest: Paul Reber, Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience, part 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:21
This and all episodes at: https://aiandyou.net/ . How do our brains produce thinking? My guest is an expert in cognitive neuroscience, the field that aims to answer that question. Paul Reber is professor of psychology at…