Buddhism & AI – how Buddhists view and are engaging with AI

Wednesday 13th May 2026

19.00 CEST / 18.00 BST / 10 am PST / 1 pm EST

In May, the iSangha will host a special guest, who will share what his organization is working on and perspectives about how Buddhists view and are engaging with AI.  Chris Scammell is a co-founder of the Buddhism & AI Initiative, a non-profit dedicated to education, communication, and project management across an emerging field. He was previously COO of Conjecture, an AI safety company. Chris has been studying Buddhism since 2016, and has spent over four years living in monasteries between London, Canada, and India. There will be space for asking questions after the presentation.

From the “Buddhism & AI Initiative” website:

The Buddhism and AI Initiative is a nonprofit organization committed to promoting freedom of attention and freedom of intention to ensure meaningful human agency in the age of AI.

Artificial intelligence marks a new evolutionary turning point for humanity. We believe Buddhism can help shape this evolution for the better. While we recognize the transformational potential of AI, we also recognize the many risks of intelligent technology, including personal and societal habit formations (Saṅkhāra, red.) that may limit our presence and adaptive flexibility. Human-AI alignment should be consistent with an ethical commitment to both responsibility and responsivity.

We’re committed to safeguarding the possibility of human awakening in the age of AI. This means resisting the concentrations of power that are currently driving the competitive corporate and state AI race. It also means resisting the temptation to withdraw from engagement with the field of AI out of fear, anxiety, or disavowal. We’re working to educate individuals and communities in ways that are responsive to the distinctive relational dynamics that connect us all.

Why Buddhism and AI? Read our recent Substack post on the strange convergence of Buddhist practice and the future of AI.

If you want to read a bit more about the background of the “Buddhism & AI Initiative”, see this article: “A New Group of Buddhist Technologists is Working to Shape the Future of AI“.

If you wish to take part and do not have a Zoom link for the iSangha yet, you can register using this form. You will receive an automated email with the Zoom link. The hour before this event, Ven. Vimala will facilitate a guided meditation on the same Zoom channel.