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’s times.
Kamath wondered if religion was still relevant among young people. Harari argued that religion was not “dying” but continuously changing across history. According to the historian, religion is now entering a new phase influenced by artificial intelligence (AI).
“AI is increasingly taking over religion, especially the religions of the book,” the author of Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind said.
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, memorize, and interpret every religious text in its entirety because the material is vast.
AI, 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.
People historically justified violence as salvation.
“AI 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,” the Israeli scholar said.
Harari notes that “reinterpretation” of holy books has always shaped religious traditions. AI may simply become the latest tool in this long process.
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.
“The 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,” Harari said.
“Instead of going to a human rabbi, they may go to an AI. It’s the same in Christianity, Islam, and many other religions,” he added.
“AI would be a book that talks back. Sacred books were silent. You needed human interpreters. Imagine when the book itself answers you,” he added during the conversation.
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.
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.
Intimacy with AI
Harari emphasized that real influence would come through intimacy rather than force. A close friend can change a person’s thinking more deeply than authority or pressure, he argued.
“AI is moving from competing for attention to competing for intimacy. AIs are learning how to create friendships and even romantic relationships,” he added.
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.
Instead of going to a human rabbi, they may go to an AI. It’s the same in Christianity, Islam and many other religions.
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.
“They share things with AI they don’t share with anyone else. This may be the biggest psychological and social experiment in human history, conducted on billions of people,” the modern-day philosopher wondered.
“Nobody knows what the long-term consequences will be when children learn friendship, attachment, purpose and suffering through AI relationships,” he wondered.
Reinterpretation of religious books
According to Nikhil Kamath, religious books are respected because they are “final and not dynamic”. Harari disagreed. According to him, people have continuously reinterpreted religious texts throughout history.
“Judaism and Christianity today are very different from centuries ago. Interpretations have justified compassion and atrocities, all claimed to come from the same source,” he said.
“People historically justified violence as salvation. Stories can rationalize almost anything,” he added.
AI-created religion?
Yuval Noah Harari believes that AI can even create new religious texts or sects. According to him, many religions already describe divine, non-human origins. So, AI-generated “religions” may feel natural to some followers.
“An AI could write new books. Almost every religion claims in its story that it was created by a non-human intelligence. Maybe for the first time in history, it will actually happen. We will see new sects created by AI and spread by AI missionaries,” Harari predicted.
