Why Americans Are Turning to AI for Spiritual Guidance

Overview

Artificial intelligence is rapidly expanding beyond its traditional roles in work and research, increasingly serving as a tool for exploring profound questions of faith and spirituality. According to a new poll conducted by NPR and Ipsos, a surprising number of Americans are turning to chatbots like Google Gemini, ChatGPT, and Claude to navigate their religious lives.

The data reveals that while the majority of AI users still reserve these tools for information gathering, a distinct and growing minority is seeking spiritual counsel, generating prayers, or studying sacred texts through the lens of machine learning.

The Numbers Behind Spiritual AI Use

Ipsos polled 1,011 U.S. adults from August 7 through August 9, finding that 61% of respondents have used an AI tool for some purpose. Within that broad group, the poll identified specific behaviors related to spirituality:

• 11% of AI users have sought spiritual guidance from artificial intelligence.
• 13% have used the technology to generate prayers.
• 15% say they have used it to study Scripture.

For context, the overall percentage of Americans currently using AI for spiritual guidance sits at roughly 6%. While this may seem like a small fraction, it is comparable in size to the combined population of Jews, Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists in the United States.

"When it comes to counsel, people are still significantly more likely to turn to their family members or their friends than they are to AI," said Mallory Newall, a senior vice president at Ipsos who leads polling projects.

Newall noted that nearly 7 in 10 AI users said they would never seek religious or spiritual guidance from AI. The reliance on human connection for spiritual matters remains robust, with friends and family topping the list of trusted advisors over both religious leaders and machines.

Seeking Answers When Leaders Fall Short

For many users, the draw to AI is not a rejection of religion, but a response to unmet needs within traditional religious communities. Rudy Vazquez, a 43-year-old construction worker and regular at a nondenominational church in Jacksonville, Florida, turned to AI after feeling that his pastoral leaders had failed to address his biblical questions.

Vazquez recently heard a passage from the Book of Isaiah during worship that he found difficult to parse. The text, which warns of moral hypocrisy, contains the famous verse: "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness."

"I never got an answer — like a legit answer — from them," Vazquez said regarding his pastor. "Sometimes I just don't understand what he's talking about."

Consequently, Vazquez asked an AI model to explain Isaiah chapter 5. He reported that the AI’s response helped him interpret the passage as a lesson on the choices humans make between good and evil, providing a clarity he had not found in the pew.

Supplements to Traditional Study

Other users view AI as a powerful supplement to established religious practices, though they often maintain strict boundaries regarding authority.

Brent Hill, a 68-year-old retired audiologist and conservative Christian near Dallas, uses AI to explore eschatology—the study of end times. He requested that AI summarize various Christian viewpoints on biblical prophecies, allowing him to dig deeper into specific interpretations.

Hill emphasizes the importance of verification, citing the Nicolaitans narrative in Acts 17:11, where believers are praised for examining the Scriptures daily to ensure what they heard was true.

"Certainly, AI is making that so much easier with the wealth of knowledge that's out there to be able to pull that into a concise, quick reference," Hill said. However, he cautioned that he does not accept AI answers without checking them against the Bible itself.

This trend extends beyond Christianity as well. Amy Wight, a 50-year-old transportation policy analyst and practitioner of witchcraft in Richmond, Virginia, uses AI to structure rituals. Recently, she consulted Google’s Gemini before consecrating a besom (a ritual broom) for protection. The AI provided guidance on the correct order for blessing and hanging the broom, boosting Wight’s confidence in a practice critical to her spiritual safety.

"I've never been part of a coven, so now it's not as big a deal that AI is not a human," Wight said, noting that she appreciates the range of perspectives the tool offers.

The Missing Human Element

Despite the utility, some religious traditions argue that the lack of human presence is a fundamental flaw in using AI for spirituality. Charles Niederman, a 91-year-old retired U.S. Coast Guard officer and active member of a Southern California synagogue, is intrigued by the possibility of using AI for chavrusa.

Chavrusa is a traditional Jewish method of study involving paired learning, where partners debate and dissect texts together. Niederman argues that part of the spiritual value lies in the interpersonal dynamics—learning to pay close attention to another person’s insights and how those ideas are formed.

"You're training yourself to listen," Niederman said. "So the relationship would be fundamentally different with a machine."

While AI can simulate conversation, proponents of traditional study worry that it cannot replicate the accountability, empathy, and shared human experience that define religious community. As the technology becomes more sophisticated, the tension between convenience and connection is likely to remain a central theme in the intersection of faith and artificial intelligence.