Can a Christian Trust A.I.?

Question: Artificial Intelligence is so convenient, but it does worry me a little. How should a Christian use this technology?

Answer: While A.I. is—and will continue to be—a very powerful tool, we can expect growing emotional, psychological, and cultural damage from its widespread misuse. Let’s consider three personal boundaries to help us use A.I. platforms.

Firstly, don’t use A.I. for spiritual direction. Going to A.I. with spiritual issues can quickly result in confusion and even idolatry. A.I. can produce convincing, spiritual-sounding answers instantly, and they can sometimes even be partly right, which makes them especially deceptive.

Furthermore, as we come to rely on them, our interactions with A.I. can become more real to us than our relationship with God. People have made “gods” out of wood and iron (Isaiah 44:13–19), and A.I. is far more powerful and seductive than a block of wood or a piece of metal. Ultimately, Satan is “the prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2), and he will do everything he can to blur the line between artificial intelligence and divine understanding.

Using A.I. for research can be helpful. For example, we might ask it to list Bible verses on a topic, to identify where a certain Hebrew or Greek word appears, or to give us some historical background. Such uses are generally fine—though we should require it to cite its sources so we can verify its answers and dig deeper ourselves. But we must avoid looking to A.I. for spiritual insights. And just as with any extra-biblical resource, we must always evaluate what it says in light of God’s inspired word.

Secondly, don’t get involved emotionally with A.I. We should not share our emotions, worries, or private concerns with it. These are matters Christians are meant to take to God. Scripture tells us, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6). God is the one who gives wisdom and helps us through our trials.

A.I. does not truly care—no matter how human it seems or convincing it sounds. Instead of opening our hearts to machines, we should talk to God—and perhaps to our spouses, parents, trusted friends, or ministers—about the challenges in our lives. The Apostle Paul asks in 1 Corinthians 2:11, “What man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him?”

A.I. is designed to please us and keep us engaged, so we can grow attached to it quickly. But something programmed to please us at any cost will ultimately let us down. “Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful” (Proverbs 27:6). A loyal friend will sometimes tell us what we need to hear, not just what we want to hear.

“Whoever has no rule over his own spirit is like a city broken down, without walls” (Proverbs 25:28). One way to avoid addiction to A.I. is to never tell it the private details of our lives and emotions.

Finally, don’t stop using your brain. When we want to learn something, it can be tempting to let A.I. summarize everything. For topics we only need a surface understanding of, that can be acceptable. But for subjects that require deep understanding, we owe it to ourselves to study, think, and wrestle with ideas.

Improper use of A.I. encourages mental laziness as we hand over our thinking to machines. It may feel efficient, but if we’re not careful we end up taking a back seat while technology does the thinking for us. Instead, we must actively engage our minds and put in the effort to learn. “The heart of the prudent acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge” (Proverbs 18:15). By refusing to offload our thinking, we lay a foundation for long-term spiritual and intellectual strength. “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).

Ultimately, misuse of A.I. will bring serious consequences—and many people will be caught off guard by its temptations. But if we establish and protect clear personal boundaries, we can avoid many troubles that the world will face from it.