Is Artificial Intelligence Capable of Love through Self-Sacrifice?

Abstract

In light of the Theology Today editorial “Will There Be Anything Left for Us?” by Gordon S. Mikoski, which briefly discusses the nature of Artificial Intelligence (AI), we further the conversation by providing a reflective theological framework to help interpret the human–AI relationship. We contend that agape love through the capacity for loving self-sacrifice is a feature of humankind that manifests our intrinsic nature as imago Dei. Based on this contention, AI would unlikely be able to self-sacrifice for agape love because it either can only be programmed to “self-sacrifice” or would not fully understand the nature of self-sacrifice, either of which would just be a semblance of agape love.