<\/p>\n
At Davos, Nikhil Kamath and Yuval Noah Harari discussed several topics. The professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem had a lengthy talk with the Indian investor. One of the key points of their discussion was religion in today\u2019s times.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Kamath wondered if religion was still relevant among young people. Harari argued that religion was not \u201cdying\u201d but continuously changing across history. According to the historian, religion is now entering a new phase influenced by artificial intelligence<\/a> (AI).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cAI is increasingly taking over religion, especially the religions of the book,\u201d the author of Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind<\/i> said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n According to him, many faiths, such as Judaism, give ultimate authority to sacred texts rather than to individual human leaders. Until now, no scholar has been able to read, memorise, and interpret every religious text in its entirety because the material is vast.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n AI<\/a>, however, can process and remember enormous volumes of written knowledge, which may shift how believers seek guidance. Instead of relying solely on priests, rabbis, or scholars, people may increasingly consult AI systems for explanations and interpretations of scripture.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n People historically justified violence as salvation<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cAI can easily do that. So, for a religion that gives ultimate authority to words in books, now there is a non-human intelligence that is about to take it over because it can take over the source of authority,\u201d the Israeli scholar said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Harari notes that \u201creinterpretation\u201d of holy books has always shaped religious traditions. AI may simply become the latest tool in this long process.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n He added that similar changes could appear in Christianity, Islam and other text-based religions. The conversation suggests that technology may not replace faith itself, but it could transform religious authority, learning and personal belief in the coming years.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cThe book has been reinterpreted again and again and again. This is a game being played for thousands of years. This is how all the other books got written: reinterpretations of the original book,\u201d Harari said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cInstead of going to a human rabbi, they may go to an AI. It\u2019s the same in Christianity, Islam, and many other religions,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cAI would be a book that talks back. Sacred books were silent. You needed human interpreters. Imagine when the book itself answers you,\u201d he added during the conversation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Such shifts may also raise some ethical questions. With his suggestions, Harari may have hinted at the ineffectiveness of human wisdom in spiritual life ahead.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Yuval Noah Harari also discussed how falling global trust could reshape religion and belief. Kamath suggested that, instead of following a single sacred book, people might form smaller groups around ideas that better represent them.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Harari emphasised that real influence would come through intimacy rather than force. A close friend can change a person\u2019s thinking more deeply than authority or pressure, he argued.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cAI is moving from competing for attention to competing for intimacy. AIs are learning how to create friendships and even romantic relationships,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n According to Harari, intimacy occurs when someone shares fears, hopes and daily thoughts and trusts the guidance received. Harari warned that some young people had already started describing AI as their closest friend.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Instead of going to a human rabbi, they may go to an AI. It\u2019s the same in Christianity, Islam and many other religions.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Nikhil Kamath noted that some kids already described AI as their romantic partner. Harari agreed and warned that many toddlers spent more time interacting with AI than with parents or friends and that they shared private feelings freely.<\/p>\n<\/div>\nIntimacy with AI<\/h2>\n