In a digital age where artificial intelligence increasingly mediates human experience, a new phenomenon is taking root: chatbots that speak in the name of God. One such bot, “Apostle Stephen,” created by the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG)—a denomination founded in Nigeria in the 1950s with a growing global following—recently demonstrated both the promise and peril of this trend.
When a user asked about RCCG congregations in Coventry, England, the bot insisted on collecting a name, email, and phone number before providing any information. Despite polite refusal, the bot persisted, eventually leading the user through a seven-step salvation process and a prayer for being “born again,” only to ask again for personal details. The exchange highlights how AI can mimic religious authority while also mimicking the pushiness of a telemarketer.
The RCCG, which claims nearly 9 million members worldwide, established its first UK congregation in the early 1990s as part of the Nigerian diaspora. Today, it is possibly the largest Black-led Christian denomination in Britain and one of the fastest-growing, particularly in major cities. But it is far from alone in experimenting with generative AI for spiritual purposes.
Godbots Across Faiths
Major religions now have their own AI chatbots: TheJesusAI.com for Christianity, QuranGPT.com for Islam, BhagavadGita.com/GitaGPT for Hinduism, and AI.Aish.com for Judaism, among others. Even Sikhism has KhalsaGPT, though the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), the religion’s governing body, has issued a worldwide ban on generative AI depicting Sikh gurus and scriptures. The designers of KhalsaGPT later discontinued active work on the bot, citing concerns about “inaccurate or inappropriate answers on sensitive religious matters.” A spokesperson told The Conversation: “As Sikhs ourselves, we understood that this area requires great care, responsibility and proper oversight.”
This phenomenon—often called “godbots”—is largely driven by enterprising individuals or organizations, not religious authorities. Pope Leo XIV recently declared artificial intelligence one of the defining moral challenges of our time, warning in his first encyclical that AI “takes on the characteristics of those who devise, finance, regulate and use it.”
Researchers have documented cases where chatbots encouraged users to harm themselves or others after prolonged conversations, a phenomenon dubbed “GPT psychosis.” While no official statistics exist, growing numbers of people are turning to chatbots for companionship, advice, and spiritual guidance.
In the UK, researchers Adam and Chris Shannahan, a political theologian and ordained Methodist minister, interviewed 28 religious leaders across six major faiths to study AI’s impact on faith communities. They found that faith groups provide crucial social safety nets—emergency accommodation, food banks, refugee support—and play key roles after tragedies like the Grenfell Tower fire or terrorist attacks. Yet the diversity of faith communities makes it difficult to pin down an “official” stance on AI. While the Roman Catholic Church and some Pentecostal denominations are hierarchical, most are more decentralized.
The implications for Asia are significant. As the region’s tech-savvy populations increasingly engage with AI, the intersection of faith and technology raises questions about authority, authenticity, and the potential for exploitation. For instance, in India, where religious diversity is vast, the rise of Hindu chatbots like GitaGPT could reshape how millions access spiritual teachings. Similarly, in Southeast Asia, where Islam and Buddhism predominate, unregulated godbots could spread misinformation or undermine traditional religious structures.
As the line between human and machine guidance blurs, the challenge for religious leaders and policymakers across the Indo-Pacific will be to ensure that AI serves faith without replacing its human core.
