Artificial Intelligence and Spirituality

A Tool for Engagement or a Threat to Transcendence?

Abstract

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into spiritual life raises critical questions about whether it enhances engagement or reduces spirituality to mechanized, algorithmic interactions. As a left-hemisphere-driven system, AI excels in data processing, analytical reasoning, and personalization but lacks intuition, relational depth, and transcendence. Nevertheless, AI offers accessibility, tailored support on the spiritual path, and theological insights. This article examines AI’s impact through the three dimensions of spirituality—personal-experiential, communal-institutional, and rational-reflective—outlined by Platovnjak and Svetelj (2024), incorporating Sheldrake’s (2014) integrative approach to spirituality.

AI-driven prayer apps, chatbots, and automated religious education tools have expanded participation in spiritual practices, facilitated interfaith dialogue, and provided immediate pastoral care. However, potential risks include depersonalization, algorithmic bias, misinformation, and the commercialization of spirituality. AI remains unable to replicate embodied rituals, lived faith, and human spiritual discernment, which are essential for holistic spiritual development. Thus, while AI can serve as a supplementary tool for spiritual engagement, its ethical integration requires discernment to preserve the depth, relationality, and transformative power of spirituality. Ultimately, spiritual wisdom and transcendence remain uniquely human experiences, grounded in contemplation, communal worship, and embodied faith.