Prof. Andrea Vestrucci PhD, PhD

Associate Professor
Christ School of Theology

Visiting Professor
Department of Computer Science, University of Bamberg

United States

Biography

Vestrucci's research focuses on fostering a mutual dialogue between artificial intelligence (AI) and religious traditions, exploring how beliefs and wisdom can inform the ethical development of AI - particularly in areas such as decision-making - and how, in turn, AI systems can offer new perspectives for deepening and rethinking religious understanding.

His work specifically addresses the following areas:

1. Formalizing and testing metaphysical, theological, and belief-supporting arguments within logic-based AI frameworks, such as higher-order automated and interactive theorem provers.

2. Evaluating the inferential reasoning and semantic capabilities of large language models (LLMs), particularly in religious applications and engagement with theological discourse.

3. Investigating how the use of logic-based AI systems reframes the classical question of whether theology qualifies as a science.

Vestrucci's previous academic appointments include a federal professorship in logic and ethics in Brazil, as well as research positions at Monash University in Australia and at UC Berkeley in the United States. Each of these experiences has deeply shaped the way he approaches both research and teaching.

Honoraria Titles

Major Prizes

Laureate of the Academic Society of Geneva, Switzerland
Australia Award - Australia Ministry of Research
Award Stella Genevensis

Religion, Philosophy & History Interests

Christianity-Protestantism, Ethics, Theology

Science & Technology Interests

Information Technology, Mathematics

Publications

Digital Sapiens: Decidere con l'Intelligenza Artificiale

Castelvecchi 2024
Co-authors: Nicola Lattanzi

Theology as Freedom: On Martin Luther's De servo arbitrio

Mohr Siebeck 2019