The creation of free-thinking, sentient machines might settle a few questions related to religion...
Would these machines have belief in dying?
Religion is a means to cope with mortality.
1. Would these AI's develop their own set of "religious beliefs" different from our own? If so, would that prove that religion is a by-product of intelligent thinking?
Some religions are wrapped around a prophets vision.
Would the AI have such vision?
2. Would these AI's reject all religious beliefs? If so, would that prove that religion is a by-product of a less evolved human intelligence?
If the device can sense it's own terminal existence, it will probably develop an means of preservation.
Physical reproduction...first....then evolution?
3. Would these AI's confirm the existence of God / Buddah / Mohammed / etc etc? If so, would that cause the scientists to immediately turn these machines off?