Scientists create an AI system that 'mimics human religiosity'

Religious conflict can occur when a group of people who share the same belief or religion feel threatened by another expanding group. This xenophobia then becomes violent in 20 per cent of cases when people start to question their own beliefs and ideals. An international team of resarchers used artificial intelligence to create a virtual world with various'agents' that interacted with one another. This is the first time this form of AI has been used in research and the scientists claim the findings can be used to support governments address and prevent terrorism and social conflict. The software is a psychologically realistic model of a human that mimics how we think and identify with particular groups.