In an attempt to understand the circumstances and feelings that might lead to religious violence, a group of researchers from several artificial intelligence universities used a social simulation to mimic human religiosity.
The focus of the study is whether a person is violent in nature, or if other factors such as religion can cause tension and anxiety among different groups and can lead to violence.
The study revealed that people are peaceful by nature but are prepared for violence and support when others disagree with their basic beliefs that define their identity.
This study differs from previous studies in that it is based on the creation of a psycho-realistic model of human beings using a technology called "multi-factor artificial intelligence" that can identify different religious groups and identify someone as a Christian, Jew or Muslim, and the way religions agree with our personal beliefs.
The team used theories in cognitive psychology to mimic how humans think and manipulate information naturally, and although there is a set of theories that compare the human mind to a computer program, it is just a metaphor not yet tested.
Therefore, the team sets up these rules within the artificial intelligence program, to show how the individual's beliefs match the group's status.
The study was carried out by a group of researchers from universities, including Oxford, Boston and Aghdur, Norway, which do not mimic violence, but instead focus on conditions that start with xenophobia and then escalate into physical violence.
By looking at how people treat information using their own experiences, researchers have created simulations of people who have had positive experiences with people from other religions and others who have experienced negative or neutral experiences, and then studied the escalation or decline of violence over time and the possibility of preventing or managing it.
The findings revealed that the most common likelihood of heightened tension from xenophobia occurs when social risks are felt by members of the small group who deny the group's core beliefs or the sacred values of the original group. However, this concern led to violence in 20% of the scenarios created.
Although the results of the study were mixed, it is the first time that artificial intelligence is used to address this question and to create computer models that are psychologically realistic and can be a positive tool that supports the stability and integration of societies.
The team recently received funding for a new two-year project at the Social Systems Modeling Center in Kristiansand, Norway, which examines demographic changes related to migration and integration into Europe, such as the resettlement of Syrian refugees from Spos to Norway to help the Norwegian Government improve the integration process.