Thursday, October 22, Volen 101, 2:00-3.00 pm
For several centuries, the relationship between Christian religion and science has been strained. One can actually show that the difficulties arising between the two stems from a misunderstanding of what scientific and religious inquiry is about. I will present a new way of dialogue by first introducing the dialectic of `mythos' and `logos' as two equally valid and mutually indispensable types of speech which we use to describe reality. This distinction holds promise for a dialogue between theology and AI.
I will then show to what extent insights from AI can influence Christian concepts like "soul", "resurrection" and several aspects of Christology. But the exchange between AI and theology is not a one-way street. Based on the work of Max Horkheimer and Theodor Adorno and their analysis of Enlightenment, I will outline the extent to which both mythos and logos can be found in AI. I will explore the ways in which theology can help AI researchers understand better the mythos they bring to their field of inquiry and show ways to liberate their research from it. The exchange thus can help to overcome mutual prejudices and antagonism and create enrichment for both.