Artificial Religion

On AI, Myth, and Power

Paperback
$30.00 US
On sale Apr 07, 2026 | 200 Pages | 9780262052214

See Additional Formats
How AI is shaped by Western religious culture and universal existential aspirations—and why we think we need it in the first place.

Artificial Religion argues that to fully understand our puzzling relation to AI, we must first look at the religious and existential background of our thinking about machines. Mapping some surprising connections between how we think about machines and Western religious narratives to political issues and existential human needs and aspirations, Mark Coeckelbergh looks back through history to offer a better understanding of how we think about machines and why we think we need them at all.

The book is unique in talking not just about the myth of AI in terms of its technical limitations and the power of Big Tech, but in revealing the deeper cultural “grammar” of AI—that is, the religious patterns of thinking and existential aspirations that are often not visible but still haunt Western thinking and shape its technological culture. Moreover, this is done in a way that also sheds critical light on the power of AI.
Mark Coeckelbergh is Professor of Philosophy of Media and Technology at the University of Vienna and ERA Chair at the Institute of Philosophy of the Czech Academy of Sciences. He is the author of numerous books, including Growing Moral Relations, New Romantic Cyborgs, AI Ethics, Robot Ethics, The Political Philosophy of AI, and Why AI Undermines Democracy and What to Do About It.

About

How AI is shaped by Western religious culture and universal existential aspirations—and why we think we need it in the first place.

Artificial Religion argues that to fully understand our puzzling relation to AI, we must first look at the religious and existential background of our thinking about machines. Mapping some surprising connections between how we think about machines and Western religious narratives to political issues and existential human needs and aspirations, Mark Coeckelbergh looks back through history to offer a better understanding of how we think about machines and why we think we need them at all.

The book is unique in talking not just about the myth of AI in terms of its technical limitations and the power of Big Tech, but in revealing the deeper cultural “grammar” of AI—that is, the religious patterns of thinking and existential aspirations that are often not visible but still haunt Western thinking and shape its technological culture. Moreover, this is done in a way that also sheds critical light on the power of AI.

Author

Mark Coeckelbergh is Professor of Philosophy of Media and Technology at the University of Vienna and ERA Chair at the Institute of Philosophy of the Czech Academy of Sciences. He is the author of numerous books, including Growing Moral Relations, New Romantic Cyborgs, AI Ethics, Robot Ethics, The Political Philosophy of AI, and Why AI Undermines Democracy and What to Do About It.

Books for National Depression Education and Awareness Month

For National Depression Education and Awareness Month in October, we are sharing a collection of titles that educates and informs on depression, including personal stories from those who have experienced depression and topics that range from causes and symptoms of depression to how to develop coping mechanisms to battle depression.

Read more

Horror Titles for the Halloween Season

In celebration of the Halloween season, we are sharing horror books that are aligned with the themes of the holiday: the sometimes unknown and scary creatures and witches. From classic ghost stories and popular novels that are celebrated today, in literature courses and beyond, to contemporary stories about the monsters that hide in the dark, our list

Read more

Books for LGBTQIA+ History Month

For LGBTQIA+ History Month in October, we’re celebrating the shared history of individuals within the community and the importance of the activists who have fought for their rights and the rights of others. We acknowledge the varying and diverse experiences within the LGBTQIA+ community that have shaped history and have led the way for those

Read more