How AI is Intersecting With Religion

Pope Leo's manifesto on artificial intelligence brought the future of technology and religion to the forefront of many minds, but neither research nor leaders seem to be aligned.

Is AI Religiously Biased? Some research suggests major AI platforms have a bias toward Western culture, and the potential of improper sourcing allows for misinformation to be spread about any religion. Muslim researchers found that some platforms "have even failed to acknowledge real-world injustices, such as the persecution of Uyghur Muslims;" a religion professor from the University of Zurich reported Character.ai's false claims about Buddhist beliefs; and a rabbi who presented an AI-generated sermon in 2023 ceased his experimentation due to inaccuracies in the material.

What Does The Data Say?

• Christians are more optimistic than the general population about the impact of AI, according to survey data from Barna, yet they are also just as concerned. The research also found that 73% of Boomer respondents viewed AI as "low opportunity, low risk," compared to just 18% of Gen Z respondents.
• About 10% of Protestant pastors in the US regularly use AI, and 32% are testing it, according to survey data from Lifeway Research.
• Most major AI platforms, especially X's "Grok," are biased in favor of Catholicism and against Jehovah's Witnesses, according to a multi-university study led by Brigham Young University. The study also found that while most people expect platforms to include religious perspectives in response to ethical questions, most major platforms do not.
• Grok, Claude and Meta all "broadly delivered answers guiding readers away from the Christian faith," according to research from The Gospel Coalition, while Google Gemini and ChatGPT "broadly delivered answers for an 'all sides' (roughly coequal) approach to different faith traditions."

How Are Religions Embracing AI?

• "Tarteel" is an AI app developed to help Muslims study the Quran and bridge language barriers, reportedly harnessing over six million hours of use in over 180 countries during Ramadan. "Ansari" is a similar tool that aims to answer questions on Islamic doctrine.
• "TalkToHim" is a chatbot that "simulates conversations with Jesus," according to Reuters (Center bias), which noted various controversial AI bots of religious figures, including Satan.
• "FaithBot" is reportedly used by over 600,000 Baptists, and another chatbot developed by a Baptist pastor in California curates study materials and lesson plans based specifically on the pastor's sermons.

How Are Religious Institutions Responding?

• Catholic: Pope Leo XIV urged priests to avoid "the temptation to prepare homilies with artificial intelligence" this week. He cautioned the leaders of AI's potential harm, inability to "share faith," and lack of humanity, saying, "Technology is never neutral, because it takes on the characteristics of those who devise, finance, regulate, and use it."
• Islam: Islamic leaders in Egypt banned the use of AI to interpret the Quran in January.
• Latter-day Saints: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints asserts, "AI cannot replace the gift of divine inspiration or the individual work required to receive it. However, AI can be a useful tool to enhance learning and teaching."
• Southern Baptists: The Southern Baptist Convention establishes, "We must proactively engage and shape these emerging technologies rather than simply respond to the challenges of AI and other emerging technologies after they have already affected our churches and communities."

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