How Should Christians view AI Jesus Chatbots?

We’re witnessing a shift in human interaction, where generative artificial intelligence (AI) has advanced to the point of convincingly imitating human-like responses. As a result, people are increasingly turning to AI for consultations, interactions and even companionship – often substituting these digital exchanges for traditional human connections.
When the lines between human interaction and AI digital exchanges become blurred we enter into dangerous and deceptive territory. As human interaction and AI exchanges become indistinguishable, we risk losing authenticity and depth of human connection, potentially harming our relationships and society as a whole.

Within religion, for example, there are many AI Jesus chatbots designed to supposedly mimic Jesus Christ in order to give spiritual advice and simulate responses as if Jesus Christ Himself was truly speaking.
An AI Jesus chatbot typically uses large language models (like ChatGPT) trained on or prompted with Biblical content or theological perspectives in order to respond to users’ spiritual questions.
However, can an AI Jesus chatbot be trusted? Should users trust the responses of an AI Jesus chatbot as if they were actually speaking to the Son of God Himself?

Below are 4 reasons why people should beware of AI Jesus chatbots

1. Jesus is NOT an AI chatbot
Jesus Christ is the divine Son of God or the God-man who came to earth in human form and died on the cross to pay for the sins of humanity. Jesus Christ not only died as a human being, but He resurrected on the third day after being crucified to prove that He was the Giver of eternal life and that all He said and taught about Himself was true (John 1:14; John 3:16-17).
Therefore, Jesus Christ is a divine and personal Being who is responsible for the creation of humanity and the entire universe (John 1:1-3).
Jesus is not an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot or a personality that can be replicated by computer software.
There is no AI chatbot or software that can embody Christ’s holiness, wisdom or authority.

2. AI Jesus Chatbots can lead to Idolatry and Deception
Jesus Christ Himself warns us about the rise of false christs and false messiahs in the end times. Could the rise in AI Jesus chatbots which claim to be “Jesus” be part of this prophecy?
In Matthew 24:4-5 Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in My name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.”

Representing an AI chatbot as “Jesus” is blasphemous and misleading. Christians must avoid anything that attempts to impersonate the Lord Jesus Christ.
Many of these AI Jesus chatbots introduce themselves as “Jesus” with the claims to provide comfort and guidance. It is a deception alone for a user to believe or pretend that he/she is interacting with Jesus Christ via an AI chatbot. By presenting themselves as “Jesus” these AI chatbots create a false sense of spiritual connection. These AI Jesus chatbots cannot replace genuine faith-based guidance and they cannot replace the depth and complexity of human faith in God and spiritual experience with a personal God.
Therefore engaging with AI Jesus chatbots which attempt to mimic and interpret Jesus can be likened to idolatry, especially if the user is seeking a spiritual connection and experience through the AI chatbot.

3. AI Jesus Chatbots can Misinterpret Scripture
AI Jesus chatbots can promote theology based on bias, misinformation, false doctrine but not Biblical truth. Therefore, AI may generate responses that misquote Scripture and misrepresent the teachings of Christ.
So responses from AI Jesus chatbots must not be taken as divine authority but must be approached with caution and spiritual discernment with the consistent mindset that one is interacting with an impersonal software program and not Jesus Christ Himself.

4. AI Jesus Chatbots cannot replace the Role of the Holy Spirit
AI machines and AI software are not the temple of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God does not dwell in machines and software. However, the Holy Spirit does indeed dwell in Christians
1 Corinthians 3:16 reads: Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?

The role of the Holy Spirit is to guide Christians into understanding God’s truth. It is through the Spirit of God that we can discern between truth and lies or good and evil.
In John 14:16-17 Jesus says: “And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you know Him, for He lives with you and will be in you.”

So Christians are guided by the Holy Spirit and not AI chatbots. No AI Jesus chatbot should replace personal fellowship with God. No AI chatbot should replace personal guidance from the Holy Spirit.

Conclusion
The main problems with interacting with AI Jesus chatbots is that while these bots may seem engaging or helpful, the deception is that the bots:
• Deceptively pretend and attempt to mimic the Lord Jesus Christ
• Misinterpret or misrepresent Scripture
• Introduce false doctrine
• Deceive and confuse users into equating AI responses with divine authority

It is important to treat such AI bots with caution and discernment. It is also important to treat such AI Jesus chatbots as what they truly are: these bots are not Jesus Christ but they are flawed software programs designed by flawed humans. Therefore, people and Christians in general should approach AI Jesus chatbots with caution, discernment and Biblical grounding.