USA (MNN) — New findings from Barna Research show that 48 percent of practicing Christians trust their spiritual growth to artificial intelligence. One in three U.S. adults says AI is just as reliable as a pastor for guidance.
Keys for Kids Ministries’ Greg Yoder calls the findings a bad sign. “It basically means that people are relying more on AI to guide them, as opposed to reading their Bible,” he explains.
“AI should not be used as a guide [for] your spiritual walk with Christ. You cannot get spiritually fed without reading your Bible and praying to Christ, praying to God.”
The willingness to trust AI coexists with some concern, according to Barna. For example, over 80 percent of Christians surveyed worry that AI could misinterpret Scripture.
Ambivalence toward AI extends from Christian survey respondents to organizations like Keys for Kids Ministries.
(AI photo created by ChatGPT)
“We have people that hate it on our staff, and we have people on our staff that love it,” Yoder says.
“At Keys for Kids Ministries, we’re trying to use AI thoughtfully, biblically, of course, and carefully. It’s not to simply embrace it because it’s new, but don’t reject it because it’s unfamiliar.”
The key is to view AI as a tool, not a final solution.
“One of my concerns is that Christians could move to extremes, that we could either blindly embrace the technology without any guideposts, or completely reject it because we don’t understand it,” Yoder says.
“We’ve seen ways that it can help us – it really helps us fine-tune a graphic; it can help us troubleshoot technology issues – but it will not, and certainly should not, replace people. We will never use it for creating devotional content.”
For now, Keys for Kids Ministries will continue helping kids, teens, and families know Jesus and grow in their faith. “If AI can help us accomplish that without replacing people, the Holy Spirit, and the Gospel, we will probably use it,” Yoder says.
“AI is a tool; the Gospel is our mission. Technology changes, truth doesn’t. AI helps ministry work, but it should never replace ministry relationships.”
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Header image is a representative stock photo courtesy of Jo Lin/Unsplash.
