Algorithmic reproduction in the age of artificial intelligence: Religious bioethics, autonomy, and the sanctity of life
1 Department of Greek Philology, Democritus University of Thrace, Greece.
2 Department of Social Theology and Religious Studies, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece.
Open Access Research Journal of Science and Technology, 2026, 16(02), 091-105.
Article DOI: 10.53022/oarjst.2026.16.2.0034
Publication history:
Received on 09 February 2026; revised on 16 March 2026; accepted on 18 March 2026
Abstract:
Drawing on the fourfoundational principles of bioethics- autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice- the article first examines at the changes that artificial intelligence is bringing to reproductive decision-making, as well as the transformation of the traditional moral landscape of procreation. In the early debates on assisted reproductive technologies, treatments were conceived as a mere expansion of human freedom, but nowadays, artificial intelligence systems are increasingly shaping human decisions through probabilistic ranking, prediction, and recommendation. This raises important questions about moral responsibility, and the role that algorithmic systems should play in embryo selection and reproductive decision-making is now at the center of contemporary bioethical debate. The article analyzes the potential ethical pitfalls of using artificial intelligence in assisted reproduction: it looks into issues of autonomy, algorithmic bias, and accountability, while also addressing privacy concerns regarding fertility-tracking apps and the reuse of reproductive data in the developing Fem Tech Market.Incorporating religious bioethics, especially within Abrahamic traditions, the article views reproduction as a morally and spiritually deeply meaningful dimension of the human condition, and assesses AI against the backdrop of theological ideas such as the inherent value of the human person, moral obligations toward one's neighbor, and the sacredness of human life. The article puts proposes a digital theological bioethics model that balances trade-offs between technological progress and ethical pillars like transparency, accountability, and meaningfulhuman oversight, while upholding human worth and moral agency in an increasingly algorithmic reproductive world.
Keywords:
Artificial Intelligence; Assisted Reproduction; Religious Bioethics; Reproductive Autonomy; Embryo Selection; Algorithmic Bias; Reproductive Data Privacy; Sanctity of Life.
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Copyright © 2026 Author(s) retain the copyright of this article. This article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Liscense 4.0