Holly Walters

Papers

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About

Holly Walters is a leading anthropologist of religion and technology, whose work explores the intersection of Hindu and Buddhist traditions with robotics, artificial intelligence, and digital culture. Her research critically examines how communities in South Asia and the global diaspora negotiate the boundaries between the sacred and the technological, asking profound questions about ritual authenticity, human agency, and spiritual meaning in an age of automation. Walters is best known for her influential 2020 paper, "Bad Buddhists, Good Robots: Techno-Salvationist Designs for Nirvana" (19 citations), which challenges conventional narratives of Buddhist decline by arguing that technological solutions—from meditation apps to ritual robots—are often framed as correcting human failures rather than doctrinal shortcomings. Her widely read 2023 piece, "Robots are performing Hindu rituals – some devotees fear they’ll replace worshippers" (3 citations), brought global attention to the use of robotic arms in Hindu _puja_, sparking debate about the future of embodied worship. Through her incisive ethnographic work, Walters illuminates how religious communities creatively adapt to technological change, making her a vital voice in the emerging field of digital religion and posthumanist anthropology.