Artificial Intelligence and the Sacred | ICFAI 2025
Research Paper

Artificial Intelligence and the Sacred: Legal Safeguards for Spiritual Integrity In The Digital Age

Innocent Onohomhen Ebbih ESQ
Department of Jurisprudence & International Law, Faculty of Law, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma
Thankgod Edewor Oderotor
Department of Religious Management & Cultural Studies, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State
Abstract

Today, we live in an age and generation where technology seems to be defining everything about human life. As artificial intelligence increasingly permeates every facet of human life, its intersection with spirituality no doubt presents profound ethical, cultural, and legal challenges. With AI systems, religious content can now be created and managed, simulate spiritual experiences, and even offer algorithmic guidance in matters of faith. Whereas these innovations can be said to be laudable, promise accessibility and personalization, they also risk distorting sacred traditions, commodifying belief systems, and undermining spiritual authenticity. This paper therefore explores the urgent need for legal safeguards that protect spiritual integrity in the digital age. It examines the existence or otherwise of regulatory framework and the extent to which the use of AI in religious contexts affects and impact the issues of doctrinal manipulations, cultural appropriation and the unauthorised generation of sacred texts. The discussion will highlight the role of law in preserving religious freedom, ensuring transparency in AI design, and preventing the exploitation of spiritual communities. By engaging with legal theory, technological ethics, and theological perspectives from a doctrinal approach, this paper aims to foster a multidisciplinary dialogue on how society can uphold the sanctity of spiritual life while embracing the transformative potential of artificial intelligence in the digital age.

Keywords
Artificial Intelligence digital age sacred spirituality legal safeguards