In a world where AI is rapidly transforming our lives, it's no surprise that it's also influencing our spiritual journeys. The question is, what happens when machines become our spiritual guides?
Meet Vijay Meel, a 25-year-old student from Rajasthan, India, who, in his quest for spiritual guidance, turned to an AI chatbot called GitaGPT. Trained on the Bhagavad Gita, a sacred Hindu text, GitaGPT offers a unique and modern take on religious worship.
"When I felt dejected after failing my banking exams, GitaGPT provided me with the inspiration I needed. It wasn't a new saying, but hearing it from an AI god felt different. It helped me refocus and start preparing again," Meel shares.
But Meel's experience is just the tip of the iceberg. Around the world, people from various religious backgrounds are experimenting with AI chatbots, seeking spiritual connection and guidance.
"People feel a sense of disconnect from traditional communities and temples. For many, talking to an AI about God is a way to find a sense of belonging, not just spirituality," explains Holly Walters, an anthropologist at Wellesley College in the US.
And it's not just a passing fad. The fusion of faith and technology, especially in Hinduism, offers a unique laboratory for this spiritual-technological fusion.
"The specifics of Hindu worship, with its physical representations of gods, make it an interesting case study. Technology becomes another vessel for the gods to appear in our daily lives," Walters adds.
For instance, "murtis," sacred statues believed to house divine energies, are central to Hindu rituals like "puja" and "darshan." AI-powered murtis and robotic deities are becoming increasingly common, offering a unique and, for some, uncanny spiritual experience.
"It's a bit uncanny, but for many, it's God. They perform puja and receive darshan just like any other divine entity," Walters says.
The rise of AI in religion has sparked controversy and raised important questions. In 2023, an AI app called "Text With Jesus" faced calls of blasphemy for allowing users to chat with AI manifestations of biblical figures. Similarly, a QuranGPT app crashed within a day of its launch due to overwhelming traffic.
"The specific problem of unhelpful religious output is an example of a wider problem of building predictable, ethically designed AI systems," says Reverend Lyndon Drake, a research fellow at the University of Oxford.
AI chatbots, while trained on religious scriptures, can share the same bizarre hallucinations and shortcomings as other AIs. For instance, one GitaGPT claimed that "killing in order to protect dharma is justified."
"I realized how serious it was and fine-tuned the AI to guardrail such responses. The chatbot is now in a better state and I'm confident in its ability to provide the right guidance," says Vikas Sahu, the developer of one of the GitaGPT chatbots.
Despite the controversies, the benefits for some users are undeniable.
"Bots like these bridge the gap by offering scripture-backed guidance at the distance of a hand. Even if one visits the temple often, deep conversations with priests are rare," Meel says.
As AI continues to shape our world, India, with its rich religious traditions and technological advancements, offers a glimpse into the future of spiritual-technological interactions.
What do you think about AI as a spiritual guide? Is it a beneficial innovation or a controversial step too far? Let us know in the comments!
