Atlanta churches using AI to save souls — and time
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At least two Atlanta churches are among places of worship that are turning to artificial intelligence to reach worshippers and rethink faith in the digital age.
Why it matters: AI is helping some churches stay relevant in the face of shrinking staff, empty pews and growing online audiences. But the practice raises new questions about who, or what, is guiding the flock.
- New AI-powered apps allow you to "text with Jesus" or "talk to the Bible," giving the impression you are communicating with a deity or angel.
- Other apps can create personalized prayers, let you confess your sins or offer religious advice on life's decisions.
- "What could go wrong?" Robert P. Jones, CEO of the nonpartisan Public Religion Research Institute, sarcastically asks.
Zoom in: Michael Youssef, pastor at The Church of the Apostles in Buckhead and founder and president of his multimedia platform Leading the Way, told the Christian Post last month that believers can "redeem and reclaim" artificial intelligence.
- Leading the Way has developed the MY Faith Assistant, which provides users with "instant, Bible-rooted answers" backed by Youssef's sermons.
- Atlanta Berean, a Seventh-Day Adventist church, has incorporated AI into at least seven sermons and a chatbot that can answer questions about those sessions, according to Pastors.AI.
State of play: Religious institutions' experimentation with AI comes at a time when the U.S. could see an unprecedented 15,000 churches shut their doors this year, as a record number of Americans (29%) now are identifying as religiously unaffiliated.
- In the latest Gallup Poll released Thursday, only 49% of U.S. adults say religion is essential to their daily life, down from 66% in 2015.
The intrigue: The AI uses getting the most attention (and scrutiny) are those that create the feeling that users are talking to a divine power or clergy.
- The Text With Jesus app allows users to "embark on a spiritual journey and engage in enlightening conversations with Jesus Christ," according to the app's website.
- The app also gives users the option to "talk" with other Biblical characters, including Mary, Joseph, Judas Iscariot, and even Satan.
- Catholic apps One Day Confess and Confession - Catholic help users with confession and spiritual reflection, providing AI-guided responses based on biblical texts.
Between the lines: It's unclear what translations of the Bible the apps are using, if they are texts from early church fathers or ideological materials from strictly conservative groups, Jones says.
- Mark Graves, research director at AI and Faith, a nonprofit focused on engaging religions with AI, tells Axios that the apps are in their early phases and are likely using publicly available material for their datasets.
- "I think the incentives are to get it out quickly and just see what happens. The risks are very high," Graves said.