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Artwork for Belief in the Future

Belief in the Future

DZ Kalman
Artificial Intelligence
Religion
Technology
Judaism
Cantorial Music
Beth Singler
Catholic Church
Transhumanism
Generative AI
Metaverse
Technology and Religion
Climate Change
Grief
Roko's Basilisk
Code
Mormon Church
Imago Dei
Mecca
Printing Press
Christianity

Technology and religion sometimes seem like oil and water, but they've been crossing paths for centuries and aren't going to stop. Hosted by DZ Kalman. New season coming June 2026. Belief in the Future is a production of Sinai and Synapses. It was made with support from Templeton World Charity Foundation.

PublishesTwice monthlyEpisodes28Founded2 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
TechnologyReligionReligion & Spirituality

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Artwork for Belief in the Future

Latest Episodes

When we talk about relationships with AI, we often focus on whether these machines are alive or sentient. But life and sentience aren't necessary for relationships; in fact, we often have deep relationships with objects and animals—and we often treat... more

AI conversations have a tendency to become so big that you can't really locate yourself within them. For this episode we're flipping the script and talking about a longstanding conversation into which AI has unexpectedly intruded: women's religious l... more

How does our inevitable deaths change how we live—and how does fear of loss change how we develop technology? Alex Sarkissian is a death doula and a co-founder of the Buddhism and AI Initiative; he joins us to discuss his recent article on AI and Dyi... more

How does AI portray religion? Does it talk about it in the way that most Americans do? Does it treat all religions the same?

CEFE-AI (cefe.ai/) is a multi-university consortium that has been trying to answer these questions. For the last few... more

Key Facts

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Recent Guests

Sara Wolkenfeld
Chief Learning Officer at Sefaria, Jewish texts digital innovator
Sefaria
Episode: Is AI leapfrogging women in religious leadership?
Alex Sarkissian
Author of the article What AI Has to Do With Death; co-founder of the Buddhism and AI Initiative
Buddhism and AI Initiative
Episode: AI and Fear of Death
David Wingate
Professor at Brigham Young University and academic lead for Cefe-Ai
Brigham Young University
Episode: AI loves Catholicism. Why? (w/ David Wingate)
Michelle Margolis
Norman E. Alexander Librarian for Jewish Studies at Columbia University, past president of the Association of Jewish Libraries
Columbia University
Episode: Faith and the Printing Press (w/ Michelle Margolis)
Zohar Atkins
Creator of Yochai, a chatbot for religious content
Yochai
Episode: A next-gen religious chatbot (w/ Zohar Atkins)
Waleed Kadous
Islamic scholar and AI researcher developing Ansari, an Islamic AI assistant
Ansari project / Islamic AI researcher
Episode: Islam and AI (w/ Waleed Kadous)
Tomer Persico
Research fellow at Shalom Hartman Institute; author of In God's Image
Shalom Hartman Institute; NYU Press
Episode: The Image of God in the Age of AI (w/ Tomer Persico)
Gerrit Gong
Elder, Quorum of Twelve Apostles, Mormon Church
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Episode: The Latter-day Saint Way on AI
Brian Green
Director of Technology Ethics at the Mercoula Center for Applied Ethics, Santa Clara University
Santa Clara University
Episode: A Catholic and a Jew read the pope's AI encyclical together

Hosts

DZ Kalman
Host of Belief in the Future
David Zvi Kalman
Host of Belief in the Future

Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars from 67 ratings
  • Thought-provokingly good

    A refreshing and thoughtful exploration of what’s happening at the intersection of technology and religion. Highly-recommended for anyone looking to delve deeper into how faith, AI, tradition, and innovation all collide in today’s world.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    JWDetroit
    United States2 years ago
  • Fascinating

    Fascinating topics, great information from many sources, and presented well. Really enjoying these episodes.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Esther Goldenberg
    United States2 years ago
  • A Great Listen

    This podcast covers such interesting topics and will leave you with many questions you want to discuss with others! Well produced and researched as well

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Elanaberry123
    United States2 years ago
  • Insightful and Inspirational!

    Each episode had great topics, great guests and thoughtful points made by the host. I learn something new and take something away from each one!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Ethan Witkovsky
    United States2 years ago
  • Yes!

    The world needs a podcast like this and David Zvi insightfully shepherds listeners through big questions where tech and religion intersect

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Compassionate ice picker
    United States2 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

High-quality guests and well-researched discussions.
Listeners praise the engaging, rigorous format and practical relevance.
Thought-provoking, thoughtful exploration of tech-religion intersection.
Great for listeners who want to discuss faith and future tech with nuance.
Audience finds host insightful and the episodes provoke thoughtful reflection.

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Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Is AI leapfrogging women in religious leadership?
Q: What practical steps should listeners consider to live a fuller life around AI today?
Listeners should balance AI use with meaningful human engagement, seek diverse perspectives, and focus on core competencies they lack while using AI to supplement learning. The guest emphasizes ongoing education and mindful integration into daily religious and educational practices.
Is AI leapfrogging women in religious leadership?
Q: What counterbalances could help ensure AI expands, rather than calcifies, Jewish leadership and discourse?
A combination of human oversight, transparent translation and interpretation practices, and broad community involvement is needed. The conversation stresses that AI should stimulate discussion and critical thinking rather than providing unilateral authority, maintaining checks and balances within communities.
Is AI leapfrogging women in religious leadership?
Q: Can you explain how Sefaria uses AI, and what makes its approach different from more conversational AI?
Sefaria uses AI primarily as a library assistant to help users access sources, translate, and navigate texts, not as a chat-based tutor. Their approach emphasizes guiding study and engagement with texts rather than delivering direct Q&A, preserving traditional inquiry practices.
Is AI leapfrogging women in religious leadership?
Q: So, what is the relationship between AI and women's leadership in Jewish communities?
AI can democratize access to Torah and facilitate leadership development, but without careful attention to bias and representation, it risks reproducing existing gender gaps. The guest argues for intentional inclusion, guidelines, and education to ensure AI supports women's leadership rather than undermines it.
AI and Fear of Death
Q: What is your relationship with death?
Alex describes early memories of death, how personal loss shaped his spiritual path, and how death became a central lens through which he views life, Buddhism, and the role of AI in supporting meaning and compassion.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Belief in the Future

What is Belief in the Future about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A thoughtful show exploring the intersections of technology, faith, and ethics through conversations with researchers, theologians, and technologists. Episodes frequently examine how AI, religious tradition, and modern society shape one another, often weighing governance, education, and community impact. Notable quirks include a consistent focus on how religious communities engage with AI—whether through church technology, sacred learning tools, or doctrinal policy—and a tendency to feature guests who sit at the crossroads of faith and tech. Overall, the show is likely to appeal to listeners who want rigorous, humanity-centered discussions about how belief systems navigate rapid technological change, with a willingness to consider governanc... more

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Which podcasts are similar to Belief in the Future?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Belief in the Future:

1. Identity/Crisis
2. SAPIR Conversations
3. The Tikvah Podcast
4. Israel Policy Pod
5. Conversations with Tyler

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Belief in the Future launched 2 years ago and published 28 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Belief in the Future?

Recent guests on Belief in the Future include:

1. Sara Wolkenfeld
2. Alex Sarkissian
3. David Wingate
4. Michelle Margolis
5. Zohar Atkins
6. Waleed Kadous
7. Tomer Persico
8. Gerrit Gong

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