Should You Talk to God Using an App?

The growing use of chatbots and AI in religion has upsides and downsides, BU scholar Margarita Guillory says.

Feb. 9, 2026 at 3:55pm

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Boston University's Margarita Guillory, who researches religion's use of digital technology, discusses the pros and cons of using chatbots and AI in religious settings. While some see benefits in using technology to foster community and answer deep questions, others worry about the authenticity and authority issues that can arise when AI starts to operate in spaces traditionally held by human religious leaders.

Why it matters

The intersection of religion and technology is not new, dating back to the rise of spiritualism and mediums in the 1800s. However, the increasing use of chatbots and AI in modern religious practices raises questions about the potential disruption of traditional religious hierarchies and communities, as well as concerns about whether technology can adequately capture the nuances of religious teachings.

The details

Guillory notes that chatbots have been aligned with various religions, from Judaism to Islam, since the first chatbot, Eliza, was developed at MIT in the 1960s. While some see benefits in using AI to help foster community and answer deep questions, especially for younger generations, others worry about the authenticity and authority issues that can arise. For example, the use of chatbots to receive confessions in the Catholic Church raises questions about whether that is equivalent to confessing to a priest. Similarly, the use of a robot named Mindar to administer rituals and give sermons in a Buddhist temple was seen by some as inauthentic and lacking 'soul'.

  • The first chatbot, Eliza, was developed at MIT in the 1960s.
  • Spiritualism, which involved mediums serving as channels for disembodied entities to communicate with the living, arose around the same time as the telegraph in the mid-1800s.

The players

Margarita Guillory

A College of Arts & Sciences associate professor of religion and African American and Black diaspora studies at Boston University, who researches religion's use of digital technology and is teaching a course called Religion in the Digital Age this semester.

Eliza

The first chatbot, developed at MIT in the 1960s.

Mindar

A robot in a Buddhist temple that administers rituals, teaches lessons, and gives sermons.

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What they’re saying

“From the very beginning, engagements [between people and chatbots] have had to do with religion.”

— Margarita Guillory, Associate Professor (BU Today)

“There's this fear in the Catholic space, where the chatbot may receive confessions. Is your confession that's given to this chatbot the same as giving it to a priest? Not only is that a question of authenticity, [but] that becomes a question of authority, when artificial intelligence begins to operate in these spaces that were held by human beings.”

— Margarita Guillory, Associate Professor (BU Today)

“Some felt as if this robot [Mindar] served in the same capacity as the Buddhist priest. But others say it just felt inauthentic. It felt cold.”

— Margarita Guillory, Associate Professor (BU Today)

The takeaway

The increasing use of chatbots and AI in religious practices raises complex questions about the authenticity, authority, and ability of technology to capture the nuances of religious teachings. While some see potential benefits, others worry about the disruption of traditional religious hierarchies and communities.