A New York Times investigation finds that tens of millions are consulting AI chatbots trained on religious texts for spiritual guidance, with Bible Chat surpassing 30 million downloads and Hallow briefly leading Apple’s App Store charts ahead of Netflix and Instagram. The report frames this as part of a broader wave of “faith tech” that blends theology with consumer software.
Lawrence Jackson’s piece notes that some of these services charge up to 70 dollars per year and claim to channel divine communication, arguing the offerings address an accessibility gap — for example, not wanting to wake a pastor at 3 a.m. to ask a question about scripture or prayer.
Platforms such as ChatwithGod market themselves as spiritual advisors, and users sometimes ask explicitly whether they are speaking with a deity. The developers acknowledge they are not, explaining that the responses come from large language models trained on religious texts, which can produce answers that sound spiritually informed but may mislead or reassure without theological grounding.
Researchers warn of risks: AI-generated replies can echo theological sentiment while lacking doctrinal accuracy or ethical safeguards. Because these systems lack minds and genuine concern for users, they cannot replace human pastoral care, even when they mimic conversation with the sacred.
Experts say the rise of faith-tech comes as church attendance trends shift, with creators arguing the tools are meant to supplement rather than replace traditional spiritual guidance. The debate centers on how to preserve doctrinal accuracy and protect vulnerable users while preserving a sense of genuine spiritual connection.
