In Brief

AI-powered chatbots play a growing role in spiritual life, according to a New York Times story that examines the popularity of religious chatbots and apps.

The Times notes that an app called Bible Chat has been downloaded more than 30 million times, while another app, Hallow, reached the number one spot in Apple’s App Store last year.

For the most part, these apps are supposed to point people to religious doctrine and scripture to answer their questions, although at least one website purports to allow users to chat with God. Rabbi Jonathan Roman suggested chatbots could be a “way into faith” for “a whole generation of people who have never been to a church or synagogue.”

However, these chatbots are built on top of AI models that are designed to validate users’ opinions, to the point that they can reinforce delusional or conspiratorial thinking. Heidi Campbell, a Texas A&M professor who studies the intersection of digital culture and religion, warned that chatbots “tell us what we want to hear.”

“It’s not using spiritual discernment, it is using data and patterns,” Campbell said.

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