Generative Artificial Intelligence in Russian Orthodox Communities: Perception and Practices of Using
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14515/monitoring.2024.5.2600Keywords:
generative AI, neural network, social construction of technologies, Russian Orthodox Church, Old Believers, religious understanding of technologyAbstract
The article examines the perception and practices of using generative artificial intelligence in religious communities in Russia within the theoretical framework of the social construction of technology (SCOT). The study’s main objective is to identify the interpretive flexibility of generative AI as a technological artifact in different Orthodox communities in Russia (followers of the Russian Orthodox Church and Old Believers of different denominations). The authors assume that the set of contexts and application areas in which generative AI is visible and understandable is relatively narrow soon after the mass release of generative AI (for example, ChatGPT, Midjourney, and other tools). Moreover, given the newness of the technologies and the low likelihood of previous experience with their usage, the authors assume that the early years of interaction with generative AI can be characterized by high flexibility in the interpretations of the artifact. To identify a set of practices and contexts that make generative AI visible for Orthodox communities, an analysis of the channels and platforms of these communities in social and mass media is carried out. It allows us to discuss technology construction by the communities and the general information field. The chronological scope of the study covers the period from January 1 to December 31, 2023. We used the Medialogy database (social media search tool) to avoid sample bias when manually selecting material for work.
Our data analysis reveals that the majority of discussions within Orthodox communities in Russia are focused on establishing the boundaries of the application of generative artificial intelligence and identifying associated dangers. Despite these concerns, the utilitarian use of AI remains unaffected, with the boundary of the permissible use outlined in the sphere of religious meanings. The set of practices for using generative artificial intelligence is currently quite narrow, with the most common practice being the generation or processing of images.
Acknowledgements. N. Dushakova prepared the article as a part of the RANEPA state assignment research programme.
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