Religious ethics in the age of AI: a comparative study of faith-based approaches to AI governance

Abstract This paper examines how religious ethical frameworks in Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism might inform contemporary artificial intelligence (AI) governance, focusing on the European Union Artificial Intelligence Act (EU AI Act), ISO/IEC 42,001 (an international AI management system standard), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) AI Principles, and related process- and value-based frameworks, using a qualitative, comparative, documentary approach. The analysis indicates areas of convergence around human dignity and agency, fairness and justice, accountability and stewardship, non-harm, compassion, sustainability, and truthfulness and transparency. These overlaps are illustrated through Imago Dei (Christianity), maqāṣid al-Sharīʿa as a practical checklist (Islam), and the Buddhist emphasis on reducing pain (dukkha), intention (cetanā), and interdependence. At the same time, the study highlights a difference in emphasis: religious traditions foreground formation (virtue, intention, and communal accountability), as opposed to secular regimes, which foreground procedure (documentation, audit, and enforcement). The paper concludes with a discussion and recommendations on where religious insights can complement risk-based governance and future research directions.