As AI enters Sikh life, old debates on technology and tradition continue

(RNS) — More than a century before Sikhs debated artificial intelligence, they debated another new technology: electric lights in the gurdwara.

When lightbulbs were first introduced at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, India, in 1897, some Sikhs questioned whether replacing traditional ghee oil lamps with electricity would diminish the sanctity of Sikhism’s holiest shrine. For two decades, rival factions debated whether the technology threatened tradition or could better serve pilgrims.

Eventually, electricity prevailed.

Today, the Golden Temple relies on electric lighting , digital displays and sophisticated sound systems to welcome millions of visitors each year.

Now, the adoption of artificial intelligence is raising similar questions as it’s embraced in religious communities in India and the diaspora.

Across the Sikh world, AI is being used to create educational materials, answer questions about scripture and make religious teachings more accessible . But it has also sparked concerns about whether technology can replicate forms of spiritual expression rooted in human presence and devotion .

Supreet Singh, a Sikh educator based in Houston, Texas, grew up hearing…