Societal Relevance of AI

Title: Societal Relevance of AI

Duration: 04/2021 – 12/2026

Research Area: Responsible AI

Artificial intelligence (AI) and robots (as its embodiment) are no longer used exclusively in research facilities and industry, but also by individuals in everyday life. In particular, ‘social’ robots (e.g., Navel or Pepper) and conversational AI assistants (e.g., ChatGPT or Gemini) take on the role of social interaction partners through intentional or unconscious transfer of human or non-human attributes and thus intrude into intimate human spheres of life. This applies especially to technical artifacts in religious contexts. The project analyses these interaction patterns and interprets them in terms of their societal relevance.

Aims

Using the concrete example of AI and robots in religious contexts, the question of the extent to which social interactions with these technical artifacts are (or become) normative and how the interaction can be shaped responsibly will be investigated. Criteria will be established with regard to

1. the necessary skills of the users (technologic literacy),
2. human images, world views and intentions of the developers and
3. the requirements of the technical artifact itself in order to define limits of acceptance.

Outlook

The criteria developed for responsible AI and robotics are to be tested for their transferability to technical artifacts in other social contexts. In this way, general design requirements for smart technologies could be derived.

Publications

• Brand, L., Kutz, M., Winter, D. (ed.): “Instrumente Gottes. Soziale Roboter und KI-Tools in religiösen Kontexten”, Baden-Baden 2025.
• Edelmann, K., Fabricius, S., Kutz, M.: “Ein Roboter als theologischer Gesprächspartner? Der soziale Roboter NAVEL im RU”, in: katBl 151 (2026), Nr. 1.
• Kutz, Martin: „Mit Robotern beten? (Zukunfts-)Fragen zum Verhältnis von Mensch und Künstlicher Intelligenz“. In: Mensch und Maschine im Zeitalter Künstlicher Intelligenz – Theologische Herausforderungen, edited by Hermann Diebel-Fischer, Julian Zeyher-Quattlender, und Nicole Kunkel, Vol. 45, Leiten. Lenken. Gestalten. Berlin, 2023.

Team

Lead

• Prof. Dr. Birte Platow

Team Members

• Martin Kutz