AI Ethics: Anthropic & OpenAI Meet Religious Leaders

Tech companies Anthropic and OpenAI are seeking ethical advice from religious leaders for artificial intelligence development. Representatives from both companies met with faith leaders in New York for the first "Faith-AI Covenant" roundtable. This meeting was organized by the Interfaith Alliance for Safer Communities, or IAFSC. What's interesting is that additional roundtables are planned in Beijing, Nairobi, and Abu Dhabi. Baroness Joanna Shields, a partner in the Interfaith Alliance, says regulation can't keep up with AI development, and the goal is to establish shared ethical standards. Anthropic has already involved faith leaders in shaping its "Claude Constitution." OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has also used spiritual metaphors when discussing his company's technology. However, not everyone agrees with this approach. Critics view the initiative as a public relations move. Some argue it distracts from fundamental questions about whether certain AI systems should even be built, and from concrete questions about regulation and control over AI systems. This matters because it highlights the ongoing debate about how to ethically guide the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence.