From AI-driven industries and CRISPR gene-editing to space travel and virtual reality, technology is changing society at an unprecedented pace. While religion should provide moral guidance for these transformations, religious institutions often remain disconnected from these transformative forces, viewing tech as peripheral to their work. Simultaneously, tech leaders often approach innovation with quasi-religious motivations, increasingly adopting spiritual language. Bridging this gap is essential: religion provides moral guidance and community networks that can ensure technology serves human welfare rather than becoming an end in itself.

Building on the success of the TWCF–funded project that launched Belief in the Future — a podcast addressing this divide — this new project from David Zvi Kalman seeks to further deepen public dialogue around these topics through a multi-platform media strategy. This next phase will make Belief in the Future and its companion YouTube channel a clearinghouse for ideas at the intersection of religion and technology.

Hosted by Kalman and produced by Sinai and Synapses, the podcast serves as the project’s core output. It features discussions with leading thinkers, scientists, and religious figures, exploring questions such as: "What does it feel like to pray in a virtual church?" "Can religion save us from addictive technologies?" "Does AI deserve rights?" and "What can faith traditions teach us about tech regulation, genetic editing, or the moral implications of artificial intelligence?"

Funding will support 22–25 new podcast episodes, a marketing campaign to expand its reach and listener engagement, and five companion video essays for a Belief in the Future YouTube channel designed for educators and younger audiences. It will also enable completion of Jewish Futurism, a forthcoming book presenting Jewish thought as a model for engaging moral and ethical questions surrounding AI, biotechnology, and digital life.