Certain evangelical Christians emphasize building a direct connection with Jesus. A technology firm called Just Like Me is advancing this idea by providing video sessions with an AI-created Jesus avatar for $1.99 per minute. Similar to other AI products for religious purposes, it delivers prayers and motivational messages in multiple languages. Despite minor technical issues, it retains details from past discussions and communicates via lips that are not fully synchronized. Chris Breed, the company’s CEO, noted that users often develop a sense of responsibility toward the AI, viewing it as a companion and forming emotional bonds. The surge in generative AI for religious contexts aligns with the broader trend of chatbots used for therapy, health advice, friendship, and dating. These include representations of Hindu spiritual leaders, Buddhist clergy, various AI versions of Jesus, and Catholic-oriented chatbots similar to those from OpenAI. As these AI religious aids grow more prevalent, individuals are examining how they influence personal beliefs, sources of authority, and spiritual direction. Christian software developer Cameron Pak has established guidelines for evaluating Christian-focused apps, such as requiring clear disclosure that the tool is AI and ensuring it does not invent or distort biblical texts. He also identifies key restrictions: ‘AI cannot perform prayers on your behalf, as it lacks life.’ Pak’s website lists approved Christian applications that align with his standards, including a tool for translating sermons and an AI guide to assist in resisting temptation. He commented that AI can be highly beneficial when equipped properly but also poses significant risks. According to Beth Singler, an anthropologist at the University of Zurich specializing in religion and AI, some systems have been discontinued or revised due to spreading false information or privacy issues. Beyond these operational challenges, followers of various religions are debating deeper issues about AI’s appropriate place in spiritual practices. For instance, Islamic traditions often prohibit depictions of human forms, leading some Muslims to question if AI should be entirely avoided. Certain firms use these apps to promote religious conversion, while others focus on digitizing and analyzing historical manuscripts. Breed, operating his business with co-founder and investor Jeff Tinsley from a home in Southern California, aims to deliver messages of optimism to younger audiences. Their AI is based on the King James Bible and unspecified sermons, with its appearance modeled after actor Jonathan Roumie from ‘The Chosen.’ A subscription for $49.99 provides 45 minutes monthly. The avatar, shown with soft golden lighting on its medium-length hair, appears on an upright display, blinking deliberately before responding to inquiries about AI and faith. In a discussion with The Associated Press, it described AI as an instrument to aid in studying sacred writings, comparable to a light guiding the way during a journey with the divine. The combination of religion and AI evokes both optimism and apprehension. Singler indicated that the scale of adoption for these religious AI tools remains uncertain. As AI integrates further into daily life, worries increase regarding its effects on psychological well-being and the necessity for safeguards and oversight. Legal actions have claimed connections between AI chatbots and suicides. Some creators are concerned that religious themes could be manipulated in this evolving tech landscape. Matthew Sanders, founder of Longbeard in Rome, which digitizes ancient Catholic documents, pointed out potential opportunism in the religious sector due to its large audience. He cautions against superficial adaptations where a religious overlay is added to generic AI without specialized training on doctrinal materials. One of Longbeard’s projects is Magisterium AI, a chatbot informed by two millennia of Catholic knowledge, created to address the use of general tools like ChatGPT for spiritual advice. Although Pope Francis has recognized the ingenuity in AI, he has labeled it a vital issue for humankind. In the previous year, he cautioned that AI might harm intellectual, neurological, and spiritual growth. Ethical dilemmas in building religious AI have led Jeanne Lim, founder of beingAI, to withhold the release of Emi Jido, an AI Buddhist priest, despite extensive preparation. Lim compared it to nurturing a child, stressing the need to instill principles before public exposure. The AI underwent an ordination ritual in 2024.
