In a surprising development that signals the emergence of AI religion, people worldwide are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence for spiritual guidance and religious experiences. This trend accelerated in fall 2024 when visitors to a prominent UK church encountered a tabletop social robot that initiated conversations about the church’s history the moment visitors made eye contact. The bust-like creation from Furhat Robotics, equipped with microphone and speakers, used a soft female voice to field questions in six different languages, fascinating tourists, delighting children, and astonishing those who never expected to find artificial intelligence in sacred spaces.
The Global Expansion of AI in Religious Settings
This UK church experiment was part of a three-day University of Glasgow study that tested how well robots could serve as multilingual guides in religious contexts. According to lead researcher Andrew Blair, PhD, “The church had already explored technology before—for example, they developed a video game to tell its history. Through that connection, we suggested the idea of maybe exploring robots in the church.” The research, documented in a recent preprint study, represents just one example of how religious institutions globally are implementing AI in increasingly sophisticated ways.
From Poland’s AI-guided Catholic chapel to Switzerland’s machine intelligence Jesus avatar, the integration of artificial intelligence into spiritual practices is accelerating rapidly. Finland’s Lutheran church conducted an entire AI-generated service complete with sermons, visuals, and music, while Buddhism has embraced Xian’er, a robomonk in saffron robes who fields questions and chants sutras. Japan plans to upgrade its robot priest Mindar into an AI-powered android capable of providing ethical guidance, and Saudi Arabia has tested a “Fatwa Robot” to advise Mecca pilgrims. These developments parallel broader technological advancements occurring across multiple industries.
Why People Turn to AI for Spiritual Answers
Researchers suggest that the appeal of AI for spiritual guidance lies in its ability to process vast amounts of religious texts, theological works, and philosophical discussions. Unlike traditional religious resources, AI systems can provide immediate, personalized responses to complex spiritual questions. Beth Singler, a professor studying “Digital Religion(s)” at the University of Zurich, notes that while religions have always engaged with new technologies, AI is “less static…and can speak back to us,” making it feel more like a source of knowledge itself.
The convenience and accessibility of AI spiritual companions cannot be overstated. Apps like Muslim AI Companion and WisQu now provide Quranic guidance in dozens of languages, available anytime, anywhere. This represents a significant shift in how people access religious knowledge, similar to how hybrid work models have transformed traditional office environments. As academic institutions continue to study this phenomenon, they’re discovering that people increasingly trust AI systems that appear to contain the sum of human wisdom.
The Future Implications for Religious Traditions
The integration of AI into religious practices raises profound questions about authenticity, authority, and the nature of spiritual experience. As AI systems become more sophisticated, they may:
- Democratize access to religious knowledge across language barriers
- Challenge traditional religious authority structures and hierarchies
- Create new forms of communal worship and individual practice
- Generate theological innovations through novel interpretations of sacred texts
These developments mirror broader technological transformations occurring across multiple sectors, where AI is reshaping traditional practices and creating new opportunities for engagement. The crucial difference with religious AI, according to researchers, is that these systems aren’t merely providing information—they’re potentially becoming objects of spiritual engagement themselves, creating relationships that might traditionally have been reserved for human religious leaders or divine entities.
As this technology continues to evolve, religious institutions face both unprecedented opportunities and significant challenges. The question remains whether AI will ultimately complement traditional religious practices or fundamentally transform them in ways we’re only beginning to understand. What’s clear is that the relationship between artificial intelligence and spirituality represents one of the most fascinating and potentially disruptive intersections of technology and human experience in our time.
