Artificial intelligence can help us to better understand the causes of religious violence and to potentially control it, according to a new Oxford University collaboration. The study is one of the first to be published that uses psychologically realistic AI – as opposed to machine learning.

The study published in The Journal for Artificial Societies and Social Stimulation, combined computer modelling and cognitive psychology to create an AI system able to mimic human religiosity, allowing them to better understand the conditions, triggers and patterns for religious violence. (1)

We like to analyze things.

To find the logic behind the deepest evil.

But there is not logic in the shadows.

The cosmos is a bad place.

Full of free will and degradation.

Devil’s biggest trick is that he has convinced us he does not exist.

You must believe that there is malice in the cosmos in order to fight it.

No logic. No cause and effect. Just pure malice.

But there is a way out.

The darkness can be fought.

But not through the light.

This is too logical and predictable to even remotely work.

But through transforming the darkness itself.

Look inside.

You are the raging abyss.

Dark.

Furious.

The destroyer of worlds.

And at the same time…

The life-giver of the cosmos.

A small snail.

A delicate flower.

Birds singing.

It is not that the abyss is far away.

This IS the abyss.

Whispering gently…

Are you afraid enough?