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About

Azim Shariff is a social psychologist whose research sits at the compelling intersection of culture, religion, morality, and emerging technology. Best known for his pioneering work on the psychological dimensions of artificial intelligence and robotics, Shariff has made significant contributions to understanding how culture shapes human responses to technology — a dimension strikingly absent from prior scholarship. His most-cited recent work, "Cultural Differences in People's Reactions and Applications of Robots, Algorithms, and Artificial Intelligence" (2023, 87 citations), has become an essential reference for researchers seeking to understand how technological adoption varies across societies. His provocative study on robot preachers (2023) explores the unexpected consequences of automation for religious commitment, drawing on cultural evolution theory to reveal how AI infiltration into sacred human roles may erode spiritual institutions. Contributing to the interdisciplinary volume on machine behaviour, Shariff further demonstrates his commitment to situating AI within broader social and ethical frameworks. Across his body of work, he consistently challenges researchers to consider the human — and deeply cultural — dimensions of our increasingly automated world, making him an indispensable voice in the psychology of technology.