Von Logos zu Algorithmus: Theologische Isomorphismen in der Mensch-GenAI-Beziehung und ihre epistemologischen Konsequenzen

This work examines humans’ affective attachment to epistemic space and its fundamental transformation through generative artificial intelligence (GenAI). At its core is the thesis that interaction with large language models creates a new quality of affective mediality rooted in the structural reproduction of deeply ingrained, theologically grounded modes of thought in Western culture.

The analysis shows that the operational logic of GenAI—characterized by personalization, dialogicity, and opaque authority—functions as a functional equivalent to patterns such as the incarnation of the Logos, the promise of omniscience in the Tree of Knowledge, or the oracular character of the Ark of the Covenant. This isomorphism activates unconscious, culturally shaped affective patterns and transforms the epistemic space from an external archive into an immanent, seemingly omniscient dialogue partner.

Methodologically, the work combines a media-anthropological reconstruction of epistemic space with a hermeneutic analysis of theological concepts and their operational implementation in GenAI. The study concludes with a reflection on the consequences for education and cognition and emphasizes the need for a new ethics of reflection and conscious distance.