Religious leaders are beginning to integrate AI into their sermons

The heart of the story: A Houston rabbi’s use of an AI-generated sermon and voice clone represents a growing trend of religious leaders incorporating artificial intelligence into their spiritual practices.

Key developments: Religious institutions are increasingly experimenting with AI tools to enhance and modernize religious services and practices.

• Rabbi Josh Fixler of Congregation Emanu El in Houston demonstrated an AI system dubbed “Rabbi Bot” that could both write and deliver sermons in his voice
• The AI system, developed with help from a data scientist, was trained on the rabbi’s previous sermons
• During services, Rabbi Fixler engaged in real-time dialogue with the AI system, asking it questions that received immediate responses

Technology adoption trends: Religious institutions have historically embraced new technologies to expand their reach and enhance worship experiences.

• Faith communities have adapted to various technological innovations throughout history, from radio in the 1920s to television in the 1950s and the internet in the 1990s
• Some religious leaders draw parallels between AI adoption and the revolutionary impact of the 15th-century printing press on religious practice

Current applications: Religious organizations are finding diverse ways to implement AI technology in their operations.

• AI translation tools are being used to broadcast sermons to international audiences in real-time
• AI-powered chatbots trained on religious texts can instantly retrieve relevant scriptural passages
• Faith-based tech companies are emerging to provide specialized AI tools for theological research and sermon writing

Looking ahead: The AI-faith frontier: While AI’s role in religious practice is still evolving, its adoption mirrors historical patterns of religious institutions adapting to and incorporating new technologies. The key question remains whether AI will serve as merely a tool for religious practice or potentially reshape fundamental aspects of how people experience and express their faith.