A third of young Christians in USA trust "spiritual advice" from AI, study
A Barna Group study showed: one-third of American Christians believe that AI provides advice that is no less reliable than that of a pastor.
The Church in the USA has faced a new trend: according to a survey by Barna Group in partnership with Gloo, about a third of practicing Christians consider spiritual advice received from artificial intelligence to be as as trustworthy as that from a pastor, reports The Christian Post.
According to the study conducted among 1,514 American adults, 30% of respondents "partially" or "completely" agreed with the statement about the reliability of AI spiritual advice.
And among Generation Z and millennials, that share jumps to 39% and 40%, respectively. Researchers note that the influence of technology is growing, and AI is already "helping" believers in prayer, Bible study, and spiritual growth.
Only 12% of Protestant pastors admitted that they feel prepared to teach parishioners the proper use of technology.
At the same time, about a third of Christians stated that they would like to receive pastoral guidance in this area. Daniel Copeland, Barna’s vice president of research, noted, "There’s a real opportunity here for pastors to disciple their congregants on how to use this technology in a beneficial way.”
Pastor Ray Miller from Texas warned that artificial intelligence could become a "new idol" that distracts believers from personal relationships with God. He emphasized that it is easier for many people to turn to a chatbot than to a living mentor, but the Church must remind: spiritual life requires personal communication and the action of the Holy Spirit.
As the UOJ reported, a new "religion" with faith in artificial intelligence has appeared in the world.
