Artificial Intelligence, Art, and Spirituality
As a general-purpose technology, artificial intelligence is being integrated in some form with nearly every field. Diverse experiments can be observed across disciplines ranging from engineering to the social sciences. Naturally, this process has sparked significant debates about the nature of creativity and authenticity.
“ChatGPT rejects the meaning at the heart of creative struggle—that our efforts add depth and soul to our lives. It denies the collective and unconscious human spirit that underlies our existence and binds us together through shared endeavor. ChatGPT rapidly metalizes the human soul by mechanizing imagination. It renders our participation in the act of creation meaningless and worthless.”
Should music be evaluated solely by its effect on the listener, or is the source of its production at least as important as the work itself? The presence of artificial intelligence in the realm of art once again confronts people with this fundamental question. Cave draws attention to the vital importance of the human element in artistic production, independent of the output. This is an attitude that places human struggle and the search for truth at the center of art—a stance echoed by those who say, as in John Hegarty, “art devoid of truth is merely ornament.”
Another striking example is an experimental service held at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Helsinki, where nearly everything—from the sermon to the music and visuals—was generated by artificial intelligence. The participants’ response to this event was largely negative. Despite all efforts, attendees reported they could not find human warmth or sincerity. According to one participant, the service was “entertaining” but “did not feel like it was speaking to us.” Thus, this attempt to introduce artificial intelligence into the religious domain, like previous ones, also was soulless.
A similar initiative took place last year at In Switzerland: In a church, AI-generated figures of Jesus Christ replaced human clergy in confession booths. While some participants who confessed or conversed with the AI described the experience as creating a spiritual atmosphere, others felt they were merely listening to clichés pulled from calendar pages.
These reactions may, of course, relate to the current limits of technology in replicating empathy and warmth. Perhaps this is an issue that future advancements in technology will overcome as AI becomes better at simulating human behavior. But how do we explain the authentic influence—something we might call spiritual transmission or the passing down of a sage’s state—that cannot be quantified or reduced to data?
These two examples, far from being the final tests artificial intelligence poses to human experience, draw attention to the questions this technology has already raised in culture and spirituality. As artificial intelligence penetrates the fabric of society, preserving the human texture and the essence of human experience will become one of its most critical challenges.
Artificial Intelligence and Experimentation
One notable feature of the current state of artificial intelligence is the experimental nature of its development. At this stage, AI systems are being built by testing different algorithms, parameters, and models. Success is not achieved by adhering to fixed, well-defined rules, but through practical outcomes derived from trial-and-error processes.
For example, it is difficult to predict the outcomes of complex interactions among various neural network architectures, optimization techniques, and other components. Moreover, the outputs of many models cannot even be explained. This is closely related to the frequently cited “black box” nature of large language models.
Therefore, progress in this field relies not only on theoretical advances but also on concrete experiments and empirical observation. In such an opaque environment, achieving success requires persistent commitment to cycles of trial, error, and re-trial.
In the latest episode of the “Society and Technology” podcast, Associate Professor Şener Özönder from Boğaziçi University explained the empirical structure of artificial intelligence. To watch the full interview, visit click here.
The experimental nature of artificial intelligence positions it not only as a source of uncertainty but also as an extraordinary field of opportunity. The unpredictability of the field opens avenues for alternative actors to succeed. The path to success lies in bringing together material resources and human talent to enable experimentation with the technology.
An institutional approach that treats trial-and-error processes with patience, viewing failures as natural steps in learning, supports talent development in this domain and grants human resources the necessary flexibility. Therefore, countries seeking to establish themselves in the field of artificial intelligence must urgently create the conditions for human capital to flourish.