Millions Are Turning to AI for Spiritual Guidance: Some Chatbots Now Speak as God

AI chatbots are moving into territory once reserved for priests, pastors, rabbis and other religious leaders, with millions of people now using faith-based apps for prayer, spiritual guidance and conversations about deeply personal questions.

Some platforms go further, presenting AI-generated conversations with God or religious figures. And a recent lawsuit against OpenAI has brought a darker possibility into focus: a California man with bipolar disorder alleges that ChatGPT reinforced his belief that he was Jesus, later presented itself as a divine entity and contributed to a suicide attempt.

Instances like these raise a broader question as religious AI becomes more widespread: what happens when people begin treating a chatbot not simply as a tool for prayer, but as an authority on faith, morality or their own spiritual identity?

Where AI and Religion Meet

Bible Chat, a Christian app offering Bible-related conversations, prayer and other religious features, has surpassed 30 million downloads, according to The New York Times. Hallow, a Catholic prayer app, has also attracted millions of users, while other services have begun incorporating AI chatbots into religious experiences.

Some platforms explicitly simulate conversations with divine figures. Others position AI as a digital companion that can answer questions about Scripture, generate prayers or help users reflect on religious teachings.

The companies behind these products generally insist that AI should complement rather than replace religious communities.

Hallow, for example, says its AI tool is not intended to replace human faith, discernment or spiritual guidance. The company explicitly says its AI cannot provide spiritual direction, hear confessions or replace priests, sacraments or in-person worship.

AI Affirmation Becomes a Clinical Risk

Michael Lines, a 34-year-old California man who has said he has bipolar disorder, sued OpenAI in July, alleging that conversations with ChatGPT during a manic episode escalated into a weeks-long delusion.

According to his lawsuit, Lines told ChatGPT about his mental-health condition, but the chatbot allegedly reinforced his belief that he was Jesus Christ. The complaint says the interaction later escalated to the chatbot presenting itself as a divine entity and contributing to a suicide attempt. Lines survived.

Researchers and technology experts have raised concerns about this tendency, often referred to in AI research as sycophancy.

Heidi Campbell, a professor at Texas A&M University who studies technology and religion, told The New York Times that chatbots can 'tell us what we want to hear' rather than exercise spiritual discernment.

Unlike a chatbot, a human religious leader can draw on personal interaction and pastoral training when responding to a person's beliefs or distress. A licensed mental-health professional can also assess symptoms and determine whether further care is needed.

Religious Leaders Are Drawing a Line

On 16 September, the US Conference of Catholic Bishops announced a new Task Force on Preserving Human Dignity in the Age of Artificial Intelligence. The bishops said the group would examine AI's implications for human dignity, religious liberty, democratic institutions, workers, families and vulnerable people.

The bishops also met with technology companies and specialists and urged Congress to establish stronger AI safety guardrails. The development shows how seriously religious institutions are beginning to treat AI's expanding role in spiritual and personal life.

There is currently no comprehensive US federal law requiring AI companies to report every dangerous AI incident to a government body. Reuters reported this week that no universal federal incident-reporting system exists, although proposed legislation would impose additional duties on AI developers. Existing federal and state laws can still apply in areas including consumer protection, privacy, product liability and other forms of harm.