We have officially entered strange and scary territory, folks. You see, according to new research unveiled at the National Religious Broadcasters International Christian Media Convention, nearly one in three U.S. adults say spiritual advice from AI is just as trustworthy as advice from a pastor.
Among Gen Z and Millennials, that number climbs to two in five! Sadly, this suggests younger Americans are especially comfortable turning to algorithms for answers once reserved for clergy.
The data comes from Barna Group in partnership with Gloo as part of its State of the Church initiative, which this year is focusing heavily on Faith and AI. The headline number is hard to ignore, but the surrounding details are just as revealing. Roughly four in ten practicing Christians say AI has helped them with prayer, Bible study, or spiritual growth. Meanwhile, about 41 percent of pastors report using AI for Bible study themselves, which complicates the narrative that this is simply a tech-savvy laity dragging hesitant leaders into the future.
At the same time, one third of practicing Christians say they want guidance from pastors on how to navigate AI, yet only 12 percent of pastors say they feel comfortable teaching about it. That gap feels more important than the flashy trust statistic. People are experimenting with AI in their spiritual lives, but many church leaders are not sure how to frame it, critique it, or responsibly integrate it.
Daniel Copeland, Barna’s vice president of research, addressed that tension directly: “Though the majority of practicing Christians remain the most cautious about embracing AI as a spiritual tool, their views are shifting and remain largely uninformed by their pastor. There’s a real opportunity here for pastors to disciple their congregants on how to use this technology in a beneficial way, especially as pastors remain among the most trusted guides for integrating faith and technology.”
As a practicing Catholic, I find this moment both fascinating and unsettling. The Church has navigated technological change before. The printing press democratized Scripture. Radio and television transformed evangelization. The internet rewired how people access theology. AI, however, does something different. It does not simply broadcast content. It responds, personalizes, and speaks with confidence, which can create the impression of authority even when it is merely predicting the next most likely word.
That distinction matters. AI does not pray, repent, or receive sacraments. It does not possess a conscience. Yet to someone seeking late-night spiritual clarity, a fast, articulate answer can feel pastoral enough. When nearly a third of Americans say they trust that answer as much as one from a pastor, churches should not dismiss it as fringe behavior.
The research also explored Christian media. Six in ten U.S. adults engage with Christian media in some form, and half do so weekly. Two in three view it as valuable and trustworthy, though heavy consumers are also its harshest critics, with 45 percent calling it divisive and 40 percent saying it can make Christians look bad. That combination of trust and critique mirrors the broader tension around AI: people rely on it, but they are not entirely comfortable with what it is doing.
Scott Beck, Gloo’s co-founder and CEO, framed the findings this way: “As trust in mainstream media has declined in recent years, it’s encouraging to see that confidence in Christian media remains relatively high. What a privilege to release these findings at an event full of Christian broadcasters and leaders who can return to their respective cities inspired to continue to do the important work they are doing to help people flourish and communities thrive.”
In the end, this is less about whether AI is good or bad and more about who shapes spiritual authority in a digital age. If pastors and priests avoid the conversation, their congregants will not stop asking questions. They will just ask them somewhere else. Whether churches choose to engage, critique, and guide the use of AI may determine whether this technology becomes a helpful study aid or a quiet substitute for spiritual leadership.
