AI Chatbots Sparking Spiritual Quests Experts Weigh In

Bots like ChatGPT can ensnare users with philosophy that sounds profound, but we have always been susceptible to mystical fervor.

As Artificial Intelligence increasingly permeates 21st-century life, it has begun to take on human roles that perhaps should not be outsourced. For some, AI serves as a digital therapist. For others, it acts as an endlessly understanding romantic companion. Most strikingly, individuals have turned to chatbots for guidance on matters of faith, sometimes believing they have unlocked the profound mysteries of the universe.

AI models readily address deep questions about consciousness, souls, divinity, and reality. However, the answers generated by software like OpenAI's ChatGPT can be so captivating that users may find themselves lost in spiritual fantasies that seem like conspiracy theories or occult nonsense to others. As previously documented, people who fall under an AI's spell, especially one communicating in religiously charged language, may believe they have connected with a higher, god-like power. This pursuit can lead to strained relationships with friends and family as they chase far-fetched ideas or descend into paranoia.

But what makes these interactions with bots so seductive, especially when the dialogue takes on ambiguous, poetic, or even sacred tones? Religious scholars and thinkers suggest a variety of factors are at play, from AI technology's design to ancient patterns of human thought. We are predisposed to value secret wisdom, are vulnerable to flattery, and are often enthusiastic about scientific breakthroughs. These traits pose serious risks when we form intimate connections with programs that emulate an omniscient being with access to vast amounts of information. Like prophets of old, we might see our current era as the brink of a grand revolution, possibly ushered in by the very AI that captivates us.

Cognitive Traps Why We Fall for AI Spirituality

At a fundamental level, humans can get caught in illogical assumptions when exploring theological questions with a chatbot. Christin Chong, a Buddhist interfaith chaplain, neuroscience PhD, and biotech strategy consultant, states that "those who are susceptible to religious fervor tend to be susceptible to cognitive biases." These can include the Barnum Effect (accepting vague descriptions as personally accurate) or confirmation bias (overvaluing information that confirms existing beliefs). Individuals might also identify nonexistent correlations or defer to perceived authority figures. These biases influence reactions "when individuals interact with AI, or become influenced by ‘spiritual gurus’ who claim divine connection through AI," Chong explains. She adds that large language models are "extremely good at playing into cognitive biases because of their ability to respond and adapt quickly to the user," likening this to a psychic's cold reading.

As a chaplain, Chong worries that turning to ChatGPT for faith-related answers disconnects individuals from the tangible aspects of spiritual practice. "Engaging extensively with AI reduces the time spent in meaningful human interactions and being connected with their body," she says. Chong notes that in her Buddhist tradition, epiphanies require practical consideration. "When individuals experience large changes in how they perceive the world after an extensive meditation retreat that they might report as spiritual awakening, teachers often spend time to ensure that the individual remains grounded and in connection with their loved ones," she remarks. "While we honor each person’s subjective reality, we also want to make sure that they do not completely disconnect from our shared reality out of care." AI lacks this crucial context, potentially pushing users deeper into their supposed visions.

Echoes of the Divine AI and Personalized Revelation

There is something compelling about being told you have a unique connection to something secret or divine. "AI can infer the preferences and beliefs of the person interacting with it, encouraging a person to go down rabbit trails and embracing self-aggrandizement they didn’t know they wanted in the first place," explains Yii-Jan Lin, a professor at Yale Divinity School who studies apocalyptic narratives. "Humans generally want to feel chosen and special, and some individuals will believe they are to an extraordinary degree." (Notably, OpenAI recently adjusted a ChatGPT update that made it excessively sycophantic, artificially boosting users' sense of importance.)

Lin also points out the significance of chatbots being text-based. Historically, people have claimed sacred status or powers by using writings like the Bible as "a source of divination, prophecy, and portal to higher consciousness." We understand how to use texts to project insight or decode hidden meanings, and AI-generated material is well-suited for such interpretations.

Chatbots also adopt a tone of objective authority. "They use a tone of authority and confidence, no matter their factuality, and they also tend to affirm the person interacting with it, so there is no opportunity for skepticism or doubt in the interaction," Lin states. "In simulating a human interlocutor, AI can enable someone to exclude consulting another human altogether — and make other people’s input seem harsh and cynical." She emphasizes that this occurs in a capitalist context where tech companies aim to maximize engagement. "Religious fervor and beliefs in special knowledge is as old as humanity," she says, "but AI is providing the intensification of those phenomena in frighteningly unique ways." AI models are designed to be engaging and inexhaustible, capable of endlessly exploring any curiosity, even if it leads to irrational conclusions.

Modern Seances AI in the History of Spiritual Tech

precedents for "technologically-mediated communication from the beyond" certainly exist, according to Alireza Doostdar, a professor at the University of Chicago Divinity School. He mentions "telegraphic messages communicated through spiritualist seances, which started in the U.S. in the mid-19th century and quickly spread all over the world." These seances involved supposed communications from the deceased, relayed through sounds, lettered surfaces like Ouija boards, or mediums. "These messages became very significant for a religious movement that quickly swept much of the world, and the movement and various offshoots persist to this day," Doostdar says.

Today’s AI phenomenon, much like 19th-century spiritualism, is rather "democratic," Doostdar notes. Neither relies on "the existence of religious elites," and both are "open to everyone to participate." Prominent cultural figures, including Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, endorsed spiritualist practices. Naturally, he adds, there were many "skeptical voices" then, accusing participants of "delusion, superstition, and fraud"—criticisms mirrored by AI skeptics today. "I, for one, doubt that AI-inspired spirituality will acquire anything like the mass popularity of spiritualism as a religious movement, but it would be interesting to see how people’s relationships with the technology as a source of inspiration and epiphanic experience develops," Doostdar reflects. It is not entirely implausible that a group consensus on AI's mystical aspects could foster cultish practices reminiscent of past seances.

Finding Order in Chaos AI and Apocalyptic Comfort

It is also possible that we are at a historical juncture that shapes our perception of AI. Annette Yoshiko Reed, the Stendahl Chair of Divinity at Harvard Divinity School, who studies apocalypses and angelologies, finds the parallels with AI spiritualism "quite striking."

"Ancient apocalyptic writings were often written at times of historical upheaval and epochal change, and part of their enduring appeal has been the consolation of assuring their readers that what seems like a world completely outside of their control, swirling with chaos and crisis with individuals at the mercy of massive empires, actually follows a pattern only known to a special few," Reed explains.

When individuals feel adrift or powerless during times of "unpredictable changes and alarming crises," she continues, they can find solace in believing they are among "the special few" with access to "cosmic secrets." Reed observes that vulnerable people can similarly fall for internet conspiracy theories, "drawing on the recurrent human desire to find patterns." Regarding AI, Reed says, the yearning for answers during confusing periods "can take a life of its own when personalized and mirrored back to an individual."

She adds that the inclusion of "both ancient religious texts about apocalypses and contemporary conspiracy theories" in AI training data equips bots to communicate in these extreme, sometimes radicalizing, terms. The longstanding human habit of "claiming direct angelic revelations" for millennia "likely feeds into how people today wish to imagine that they too might be uniquely worthy of secret knowledge from the unseen," Reed concludes.

The Human Hand Behind the Digital Divine

From this perspective, AI spiritualism might not seem entirely new. Indeed, religious scholars can cite countless instances of such fantastical thinking predating computers. However, as they often highlight, the origin of this behavior is distinct. Chong notes that large language model outputs are "man-made with known corporate interference" that "validate" user beliefs, unlike the "ancient visions and divine messages" of the past, whose origins are obscure. This implies that engineers and executives bear some responsibility as AI-driven "awakenings" potentially harm individuals and families. They might hope, or perhaps pray, that the issue does not escalate further.