MOST of us have an idea what virtual personal assistant Alexa can do, such as obeying voice commands to control music, household appliances and more, but now an academic has suggested artificial intelligence could help the device move from virtuality to spirituality.

Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) Professor Mike Mannion said he believed that with the pandemic, lockdown resulting in the closure of places of worship, the need for such technology has never been more apparent.

And he said we would soon be able to buy off-the-shelf “spiritual robots” that would give spiritual advice and exercises based on an owner’s faith and mood.

Mannion, of GCU’s School of Computing, Engineering and Built Environment, said the scenario will be made possible by software that can be integrated into robotic personal companions, already beginning to emerge on the market, transforming them into personal spiritual advisors.

“We are essentially talking about a piece of software that is a plug-in for a robot you have already bought,” he said.

“While the robots currently on the market look crude, they will evolve into a more human aesthetic in the coming years.

“But we don’t even have to wait that long. The technology and thousands of years of content is already there for a one-size-fits-all product.”

Mannion said the information the robots could provide using technology available now would range from the history of a particular faith, to pertinent current affairs and reminders about dates and festivals. The technology would “evolve into a fully interactive spiritual-guidance programme” tailored to individual needs.

“The next logical step is to go beyond simple scripted greetings and responses, and actually help people to develop their interior life and feelings – to support people with their faith if they have one, or to develop a faith if they don’t.

“The lockdown has illustrated that we all need guidance and time to reflect on our interior life, but the people who usually provide it ... have not been available in the traditional setting. If you can access the guidance these people offer in a more humanistic way ... or are looking to practise your faith away from a public gathering, there will be a lot of demand for technology that allows you to do just that.”