Tech companies invite philosophers to help shape AI rules

Companies like Anthropic and OpenAI are suddenly asking religious leaders for advice on making AI behave ethically. This seems odd because Silicon Valley has traditionally viewed organized religion with suspicion. Last week in New York, faith leaders from Christian, Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist and other traditions gathered for talks about how to guide AI development. Groups like the Mormon Church have already shared their views, with some supporting AI use in education while warning it can't replace human wisdom.The push for moral AI isn't entirely new. Some tech companies have already created guidelines for their chatbots. Anthropic, for example, built a "constitution" for its AI assistant called Claude, crafted with help from religious scholars. But critics question whether these efforts are serious or just public relations moves. After years of saying "move fast and break things, " some companies may now be realizing they've broken too much. Not everyone believes religious groups can provide clear answers. Rumman Chowdhury, who used to advise the White House on AI, thinks faith leaders aren't the best source for solving tech ethics. Meanwhile, Dylan Baker from an AI research institute argues that the real question isn't how to make AI ethical, but whether we should build these systems at all. The debate reveals a deeper tension: faith and tech are teaming up, but no one's entirely sure what they're actually creating.