Beth Singler

Prof. Dr. Beth Singler, who formerly held the position of Junior Research Fellow in Artificial Intelligence at the University of Cambridge, has been named the new Assistant Professor in Digital Religion(s) at the University of Zurich. 15 years made up her academic career at Cambridge. She was chosen as a Fellow of the International Society for Science and Religion in 2021, and she has received honors for her efforts in AI ethical research and public outreach.

Her anthropological study investigates the social, ethical, and theological ramifications of artificial intelligence, paying close attention to how science fiction stories, metaphors, memes, and tropes affect our conception of potentially intelligent machines. She has made a number of brief documentaries as part of her work in public engagement. The 2017 AHRC Best Research Film of the Year Award went to Pain in the Machine for the first entry.

Beth has spoken on AI, robotics, and suffering on the Today, Sunday, and Start the Week programs on Radio 4. She presented at the Hay Festival in 2017 as one of the "Hay 30," the 30 most impressive speakers to watch. In both 2017 and 2018, she was included in the Evening Standard's Progress 1000 list of the most significant figures in a variety of professions.

She has also given presentations on AI and human identity at the Cambridge Festival of Ideas, the Being Human Festival, the Barbican, the Cheltenham Science Festival, and the London Science Museum. She has performed at events like IP Expo, Ars Electronica, and New Scientist Live. She gave talks at the Norwich Science Festival and the London Science Museum in 2019 and was interviewed by publications such as the New Scientist, Forbes, and the BBC.