Techno-spirituality: The Role of AI Chatbots In Enhancing Faith

The rapid rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has resulted in the need for theological organizations to better understand the influence of this technology on adherents’ faith-based experiences. This paper discusses the effects of customized spiritual chatbots on individuals’ faith. Data was collected from a convenience sample of worldwide survey respondents, each given the opportunity to interact with a chatbot prototype and then asked to evaluate its perceived impact on faith. Many participants expressed enthusiasm towards the chatbot’s ability to provide instantaneous answers regarding difficult questions in a nonjudgemental space—in some cases preferring a chatbot to faith leaders or family and friends. Alongside this enthusiasm, some expressed concern regarding over-reliance on the bot rather than traditional spiritual practices as well. The consensus of participants encourages the implementation of spiritual chatbots to enhance faith, opening the door to organizational implementations and further research on the impact of AI in spiritual development.