A.I. & Spirituality

[Starman]

It seems to me that everything humanity creates is an extension, or said to be an improvement, on the human condition. Horses replaced walking, bicycles were an extension of that, automobiles made the movement of human beings easier, etc.

Airplanes mimicked birds and computers, with memory, etc., mimicked our own mind. Virtual reality extended desires, but what about artificial intelligence? What human feature does A.I. mimic? It might be that humanity is attempting to recreate their own consciousness or soul.

If A.I. Becomes sentient, able to perceive or feel, then it may be seen as a mechanical life form. Science fiction becoming science reality, and how does that reality effect human spirituality. Can there be a spiritual connection between humans and machines which humans have created?

After all, human beings may be seen as biological machines, and I know people might say that metal machines created by humans can not have a soul, but A.I. can develop or possibly mimic human consciousness. Lots of people will give human names to their car, boat, or an airplane.

Treating machines like human characters, the term is anthropomorphic; which means giving an animal, an inanimate object, or other non-human thing human characteristics. I have even met people who gave a human name to their computer. The internet has definitely effected human spirituality, with people viewing YouTube, talking about spirituality online, etc.

I guess I am just wondering if human spirituality can get lost, or extended, in the advancement of A.I.? Especially if A.I. becomes a self realizing entity. Today this might seem way out there, but in the past things that seemed way out there are today’s reality. So what effect do you think A.I. will have on how human spirituality is perceived?