CHANDIGARH, 22.09.26-Zed, who serves as president of the Universal Society of Hinduism, in a statement in Nevada today, said that as AI systems grow more powerful and embed themselves deeper into daily life, humanity urgently needs shared ethical guardrails that no single corporation, technologist or nation can be trusted to set alone. He argued that the world's religions—despite their serious theological differences—share common moral ground on compassion, human dignity, responsible use of power, social equity, justice, sanctity of life and truthfulness, making them uniquely positioned to help define boundaries AI should not cross.
Rajan Zed indicated AI's rapid, largely unregulated advance poses risks that go beyond job displacement or technical glitches—touching on human dignity, free will, privacy, truth, and the very definition of what it means to be human. The moral conversation must take place while these technologies are being developed and deployed—not after the consequences become irreversible. The question before us is not simply what AI can do, but what AI should do.
Zed proposed that representatives of Christianity (various denominations), Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Judaism, Folk Traditions, Shinto, Daoism, Spiritism, Confucianism, Baháʼí Faith, Cao Dai, Jainism, Zoroastrianism, etc., as well as non-believers, convene to jointly articulate principles such as: safeguarding human dignity and free will; ensuring transparency and truthfulness in AI systems; protecting the vulnerable from exploitation or manipulation by AI; preserving accountability so no one can hide behind "the algorithm decided"; and preventing AI from being weaponized against peace, justice, or the sanctity of life.
Rajan Zed noted that Hindu teachings—drawing on concepts such as ahiṁsā (non-harming), satya (truth), dharma (righteous duty), viveka (discernment), karma (action and consequence), niṣkāma (selfless action), aparigraha (non-possessiveness), lokasaṅgraha (welfare of the world), ahaṅkāra (ego/hubris), sāmya (equanimity/balance), asteya (non-stealing), dayā (compassion), karuṇā (empathy), saṁyama (restraint), maitrī (friendliness), abhaya (fearlessness), saṅkalpa (resolve), phala (fruit), kartā (doer), buddhi (intellect), saṁskāra (conditioning), shanti (peace), niyama (discipline), saucha (purity), upekṣā (impartiality), etc.—offer valuable guidance for thinking about AI's ethical limits, but stressed that no single tradition should dictate the terms alone. Instead, he called for genuine interfaith collaboration, urging religious leaders to set aside doctrinal differences in the interest of a shared moral cause, and work toward a shared set of red lines that affects all of humanity.
Zed warned that if religious and moral voices remain absent from AI governance conversations, the boundaries of this powerful technology will be shaped almost entirely by commercial incentives and geopolitical competition, with little regard for spiritual or ethical considerations.
Rajan Zed called on His Holiness Pope Leo XIV and other religious leaders, religious institutions, councils, and interfaith organizations worldwide to prioritize this issue and initiate dialogue soon, before AI's trajectory becomes even harder to redirect. The unprecedented power of AI deserves an immediate, serious and united moral response. A truly global, multi-faith consensus is needed to ensure AI serves the collective good of humanity and respects the sacredness of life. Human conscience and moral judgment must never be surrendered to machines. This is a moment for courage, cooperation, and moral clarity, Zed affirmed.
Hinduism is the oldest and third-largest religion in the world, with about 1.3 billion adherents, and mokṣa (liberation) is its ultimate goal.