A New Dimension in the Paradigm of Social Change: Artificial Intelligence and the Transformation of Religious Life

• Published in: Eskişehir Osmangazi Üniversitesi İlahiyat Fakültesi Dergisi Vol. 12; no. Din ve Yapay Zeka; pp. 20 - 42
• Main Author: Düzbayır, Bilal
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 15.05.2025
• ISSN: 2147-8171
• DOI: 10.51702/esoguifd.1598739

This article examines the potential effects of artificial intelligence, which is characterised as the latest and perhaps the most radical technological transformation in human history, on religious life and belief systems in the context of the paradigm of social change from the perspective of the change of religious life. While rapidly developing artificial intelligence technologies make their impact felt in all areas of social life, they also raise fundamental questions about human existence, the search for meaning and ethical values. In this context, the main purpose of this article is to analyse the reflections of artificial intelligence on religious life from the perspective of social change and to address the possible effects of this new technology on belief systems, religious life, ethical values and social structures. The main justification of the article is that the transformation created by artificial intelligence is progressing rapidly and has begun to penetrate almost every aspect of social life. Artificial intelligence is no longer only a subject of the world of science and technology but is also becoming a focal point of social sciences. This article aims to meet the need to understand and make sense of the impact of artificial intelligence on religious life, based on the idea that this transformation should be addressed in terms of social change. In this article, based on the findings obtained by observation method, it is determined that the concept and applications of artificial intelligence trigger important questions about religious beliefs in the minds of individuals. In particular, the achievements of artificial intelligence that exceed human abilities and examples of its use in religious practices lead to thoughts that contradict existing religious beliefs in some individuals. This finding obtained through observation shows that the effects of artificial intelligence on religious life are not just a theoretical discussion, but a concrete analysis supported by observational data. The article also adopts a historical perspective to understand the potential impacts of artificial intelligence on religious life and social change. The transformative effects of previous technological revolutions (from the discovery of fire to the Internet) on social structures, belief systems, and lifestyles that have profoundly influenced human history are discussed. The new questions, searches and adaptation processes brought about by these revolutions are emphasised. Based on this historical context, the article argues that artificial intelligence has the potential to have a similar impact. In this context, the paper evaluates the potential effects of artificial intelligence on religious beliefs, ethical values and traditional authority that may emerge in areas such as advances in the field of medicine, potential virtual worship practices, possible robot imam figures, personalisation of religious education materials and gene editing. The article also draws attention to the potential risks of artificial intelligence. Issues such as the possibility of artificial intelligence getting out of human control and becoming a threat to humanity, the proliferation of autonomous weapons, genetic selection and manipulation are discussed, and it is emphasised that measures should be taken against these risks. The most important feature that distinguishes this article from other artificial intelligence studies is that it focuses on the effects of this technological revolution on religious life in the context of social change and addresses its possible effects on belief systems, religious practices, ethical values and social structures in a multi-faceted way. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the potential effects of the artificial intelligence revolution on religious life and social change and is believed to lay the groundwork for future research in this field. Again, this study presents the idea that a new dimension will emerge with artificial intelligence in the classical phases of social change as traditional, modern and postmodern, and perhaps this dimension may add a new phase to the phases of social change. This new phase can also be called “artificial intelligence society”.Methodologically, the theoretical analysis method based on sociology and sociology of religion literature was used in the study, and an interdisciplinary approach was adopted to evaluate the relationship between artificial intelligence and social change. In this respect, the study aims to make an original contribution that examines the effects of artificial intelligence on religious sociality and individual belief systems in the paradigm of social change.