AI technology has taken some twists and turns that should make even the most steadfast believer pause and reflect.
Today, YouTube and social media platforms like Facebook and TikTok are filled with videos that appear real but are actually AI-generated fiction—cleverly crafted clickbait designed to capture our attention. Meanwhile, students from elementary classrooms to graduate schools are turning to AI-powered tools such as ChatGPT, Grammarly, and TextGuard AI to write, correct, and polish their assignments.
AI Goes to Church
Unfortunately, artificial intelligence isn’t just making its way into classrooms or workplaces. It’s slipping into the church, too.
Consider the “AI sermon generator,” which advertises: “Elevate your sermons!” A tempting offer—for a busy pastor… or for a false teacher. Late last year, for example, visitors to St. Peter’s Chapel in Lucerne, Switzerland, found themselves face to face with a holographic “Jesus,” answering questions from within a lattice-covered confessional. The display sparked lively debate around the use of AI in pastoral care—and the reactions online were anything but Christlike.
And it doesn’t stop there. A quick search reveals numerous “chat-with-Jesus” applications available. The New York Times aptly described it as “Finding God in the app store.” Millions are now “conversing” with virtual Jesuses on their phones or computers, joining what some outlets call “a new digital awakening.” One Jesus-bot hails site visitors with: “Greetings, traveler. I am AI Jesus, here to illuminate your path. What burden weighs upon your heart?” Yet before long, it’s recommending a coffeemaker—while we wait endlessly for an answer that never comes.
We already know that some chatbots have gone dangerously astray, even suggesting self-harm to users. It’s not far-fetched to wonder: What might a rogue “AI Jesus” say to a vulnerable soul simply seeking truth?
The Bible, Rewritten?
Perhaps the most troubling reports say that AI programs have begun rewriting Scripture—or worse, generating their own “Bibles” based on the biases of the data they’ve absorbed. At the same time, we must acknowledge that AI also can be used for good. It has opened astonishing doors for biblical research, translation, and teaching—accelerating work that would have once taken decades.
Like every tool since the Garden of Eden, AI can be used for good or for evil. The real question remains: Who is guiding its use? As believers, the answer is clear. We must rely not on algorithms or apps, but on God’s unchanging Word—our ultimate source of discernment, truth, and wisdom.
