Artificial Intelligence and Religion: Investigating perceptions: ethics, practices and the role of religious actors in Senegal

The advent of artificial intelligence and the ethical issues and concerns that arise from it constitute a major challenge in today's digital revolution. While discussions are more advanced in countries with higher levels of digitization, those questions are also moving up the institutional and scientific agenda of African countries. As an example, on May 2, 2023, UNESCO organized a meeting of researchers and decision-makers in Dakar to support legislation on artificial intelligence. These initiatives enable us to look at issues that have already been identified, in order to implement best practices and anticipate possible transpositions to different African realities. It is in line with this approach that the Artificial Intelligence for Africa's Development (AI4D) program piloted by the African Observatory on Responsible Artificial Intelligence (AORAI) was developed. The research presented in this report involved 296 religious authorities across 4 cities in Senegal and was carried out by LASPAD, which was chosen as the French-speaking West African laboratory.

The main focus of this study lies on AI applications, legislation and ethical responsibility. What are the main ethical challenges? How, according to religious actors’ perception, can we get leads on AI regulation? What role could religious authorities play in this regulatory project? These are the questions that this study seeks to address

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