AI in Religion: Christians Use AI Chatbots for Prayers

In South Korea, a surge in online church services utilizing artificial intelligence is reshaping the landscape of religious practice. Christianity, the dominant religion in the country, has seen tens of thousands turning to AI-driven chatbots and audio bibles for their spiritual needs.

This trend is particularly popular among young Protestants, according to a report by the Financial Times.

Generative AI for Religion

Local start-ups have introduced generative AI apps for bible study and prayer services, catering to this growing demographic. Pastors, who oversee a substantial portion of South Korea's 52 million population, welcome the time-saving aspect of these technologies, allowing them to better attend to their congregations.

However, they also emphasize the importance of preserving the personal touch and counsel against an overreliance on technology for religious activities.

Awake Corp, the developer of the ChatGPT-based bible chatbot 'Ask Jesus,' now rebranded as 'Meadow,' has gained traction since its launch in March. Approximately 50,000 users, including 10,000 from outside Korea, have engaged with the app.

It provides responses to inquiries, offering bible verses, interpretations, and prayers addressing both spiritual and everyday matters, as noted by the Financial Times.

The service has garnered interest from churches and pastors, who utilize Awake's AI-driven WeBible web service for sermon preparations. This tool offers detailed explanations of specific Bible passages, identifies key messages, provides points for reflection, and even suggests sermon titles.

Kim Min-joon, the CEO of Awake Corp, acknowledges initial resistance from some churches who were concerned about the potential replacement of pastoral roles.

However, as pastors experienced the time-saving benefits for sermon preparation, they came to appreciate the service's support in ministering to their congregations.

Meadow's foundation lies in Open AI's ChatGPT technology, but Awake has further trained the chatbot with an extensive theological database. They employ prompt engineering techniques to enhance communication with large language models and prevent inaccuracies, whichknown as AI "hallucinations."

AI for Sermon Creation

A recent survey of 650 Protestant ministers in Korea revealed that approximately 20 percent have utilized ChatGPT for sermon creation. Of these, around 60 percent found it beneficial for generating sermon ideas.

Despite the technological advancements, some pastors like Kim remain cautious about relying entirely on AI for religious practices. They emphasize that the spiritual fulfillment derived from sermons requires a human touch that cannot be replicated by artificial intelligence.

In a parallel development, Australian evangelist Nick Vujicic is leveraging artificial intelligence and digital media to expand the reach of the Gospel to diverse global audiences.

His initiative, Multitood, employs AI-driven video translation solutions, aiming to break language barriers and disseminating content across the internet.

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