How Churches in the U.S. Are Experimenting with Artificial Intelligence
A Faith Seeking an Audience
Places of worship across the United States are emptying. Statistics reveal that an increasing number of Americans—nearly three in ten—now identify as “religiously unaffiliated.” Concurrently, thousands of parishes are merging or closing due to a shortage of priests and a decline in congregants. Amid this identity crisis, churches are exploring new ways to connect. Surprisingly, their most unexpected savior appears to be… artificial intelligence.
The “Digital Shepherd”
Artificial intelligence is now entering houses of worship. Experimental programs and applications promise spiritual guidance, confession, and even “conversations” with biblical figures. The app Text With Jesus, for example, invites users on “a spiritual journey of conversation with Jesus Christ.” Users can choose to “chat” with the Virgin Mary, Judas, or even Satan through a chatbot that mimics the style and content of Scripture.
Similarly, Catholic applications allow for “virtual confessions” and offer personalized prayers based on religious texts.
From Sermons to Algorithmic Messages
The Episcopal Church has created EpiscoBot, a chatbot that answers theological questions and utilizes the church’s archival material. Meanwhile, more and more priests in the U.S. are using artificial intelligence to draft sermons or analyze congregational engagement, tailoring their communication accordingly.
Pastor Chris Hope from Boston views it practically:
“Every church is, in a way, a business. Artificial intelligence can help with organization, outreach, and spreading the Word.”
Similar initiatives have been undertaken by Reverend Louis Atlee, who developed the Faith chatbot as a tool for research and spiritual support. However, he emphasizes:
“You can’t hand over your morality to a machine. Faith is a human affair.”
Faith for a Fee
In some cases, these applications offer “premium access.” Pastor Ron Carpenter in San Jose has created a service that provides personalized one-on-one conversations with “artificial spiritual guidance” for a subscription fee of $49 per month. Theology thus passes through the filters of commerce and technology, transforming the believer-God relationship into an on-demand service.
The Risk of Digital Gospel
While the advantages are clear—access for all, constant availability, personalized responses—experts caution against potential pitfalls. Robert P. Jones, head of the Public Religion Research Institute, points out that there is no transparency regarding which versions of the Bible or theological interpretations are used to “train” chatbots. Consequently, a chatbot may inadvertently promote biased or extremist interpretations. Mark Graves from the nonprofit organization AI and Faith adds that most of these systems rely on publicly available data—often incomplete or inaccurate. “The risks are significant,” he says. “And our understanding of how these tools will affect faith is still limited.”
Faith Without Soul?
Can a program offer comfort? Perhaps. But can it replace the experiential aspect of faith? Probably not. Artificial intelligence does not pray, doubt, or forgive. It may replicate the style of Scripture but not its essence. Yet if someone finds peace through such a conversation, who can say they haven’t found, even through a machine, a path toward the light?
Sources Axios: Churches are turning to AI for spiritual guidance (2025) – Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) – AI and Faith Foundation
