The Harvard ethicist and author on the similarities between digital technology and religion, the value of scepticism, and how to develop a positive relationship with our devices

Greg Epstein is the humanist chaplain at Harvard and MIT. He was also TechCrunch’s first “ethicist in residence”. In his new book, Tech Agnostic, he explores the idea that “tech”, by which he means modern digital technology, is a new global religion, with messianic leaders, dutiful followers, daily rituals of worship, and an inescapable influence on all facets of life.

Why did you decide on religion as the analogy with which to understand the modern role of tech?

Well, religion has been the governing analogy for my life in many ways. I’ve lived my life around diverse religions. And I’ve had this 20-year career now as a chaplain for humanists, atheists, agnostics and allies at Harvard and now at MIT as well. When I was asked to join MIT in 2018 something really struck me about the “T” in MIT. I had been educated to see religion as the most powerful social technology in the world, and it seemed that that was no longer true. The era of social media has made tech the most powerful social technology, but I thought that religion could be a very useful tool in understanding a tech world.

Tech Agnostic by Greg Epstein is published by MIT Press (£27). To support the Guardian and Observer order your copy at guardianbookshop.com. Delivery charges may apply