Holiday rituals and gatherings offer something precious: the promise of connecting to something greater than ourselves, whether friends, family or the divine. But in the not-too-distant future, artificial intelligence ‒ having already disrupted industries, relationships and our understanding of reality ‒ seems poised to reach even further into these sacred spaces.

People are increasingly using AI to replace talking with other people. Research shows that 72% of teens have used an artificial intelligence companion, chatbots that act as companions or confidants ‒ and that 1 in 8 adolescents and young adults use AI chatbots for mental health advice.

Those without emotional support elsewhere might appreciate that chatbots offer both encouragement and constant availability. But chatbots aren’t trained or licensed therapists, and they aren’t equipped to avoid reinforcing harmful thoughts ‒ which means people might not get the support they seek.

If people keep turning to chatbots for advice, entrusting them with their physical and mental health, what happens if they also begin using AI to get help from God, even treating AI as a god?

Talking to and seeking guidance from nonhuman entities is something many people already do. This might be why people feel comfortable with a chatbot Jesus that, say, takes confessions or lets them talk to biblical figures.

Even before chatbots went mainstream,

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