Conscious, embodied, emotional?! - AI as a challenge for theological anthropology

01/09/2024 to 31/08/2027

The primary goal of this research project is to show, examine and critically constructively integrate the relevance of AI research with a special focus on behavior-based AI with its body and emotion concepts for theological anthropology. This requires (1) a detailed reconstruction of the heterogeneous AI-based research approaches and a classification of their philosophical and anthropological basic assumptions. With this systematization, a research gap can be closed in a further step by introducing the latest behavior-based AI research. Because the previous fundamental theological or religious-philosophical reception of AI only deals with the possibility of a computational generation of mental abilities. In a second (2) step, an interlocking reception should take place. Taking into account bodily and consciousness-theoretical approaches within theological anthropology, AI research is critically classified, such as the anthropomorphization of AI and its functionalization of mental and physical abilities. In terms of mutual enrichment, a critical examination of the relevance of these approaches for theological-anthropological discourses on embodiment takes place at the same time.