AI arrives at church: How chatbots are shaking up religion
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A new digital awakening is unfolding in some churches, where pastors and prayer apps are turning to artificial intelligence to reach worshippers, personalize sermons and power chatbots that supposedly resemble God.
Why it matters: Some users say AI is helping 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.
State of play: 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.
The big picture: Many places of worship are using the tool in mundane ways — deploying chatbots to answer frequently asked questions such as service times and event details, or feeding congregation attendance data into AI software to help them tailor outreach and communications.
Yes, but: It's the use of AI that gives worshippers the feeling they are talking to a divine power, clergy member or deceased person that has caused the most intrigue — and scrutiny.
Zoom in: At Dream City Church in Phoenix, pastor Luke Barnett played an AI-created message from Charlie Kirk after Kirk was killed in September.
- Barnett told parishioners he debated whether to share it publicly but, "really all AI is, they take the fullness of a man's words … and they answer a question the way they may answer it."
- Then he played a one-minute voice recording from the AI version of Kirk, who said his "soul is secure in Christ" and encouraged people to "dry your tears, pick up your cross and get back in the fight."
- Dream City Church did not respond to Axios Phoenix's request for information about its use of AI.
The other side: The Right Rev. Jennifer A. Reddall, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Arizona, told Axios she feels that using AI to try to speak to someone who has died is a way of avoiding "the reality of death."
- "As a Christian, I can't believe in resurrection without also believing in death," she said.
Between the lines: Reddall said she recognizes the potential upsides of the tool for budgeting, data analysis and other clerical purposes, and she's glad the Episcopal Church has created a task force to explore how AI can and should be used.
- But you won't find her using ChatGPT to write a sermon any time soon.
The bottom line: "AI cannot hold your hand. AI cannot love you. AI cannot have a relationship with God," Reddall said.