What Would Jesus Tech An Honest Conversation About AI Chatbots (with Bonnie Kristian)
Mar 31, 2026
Bonnie Kristian, deputy editor at Christianity Today and writer on faith and tech, joins to unpack AI chatbots and faith. They probe Christian AI startups, theological guardrails, and risks of impersonation. Conversations cover AI in sermon research, youth formation, loneliness-driven adoption, agentic AI, and limits of AI in education.
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Christian Chatbots Market Relational Companionship
- Christian-branded chatbots often market relational roles like "best friend" or "youth pastor" rather than just information delivery.
- Bonnie Kristian's interview with Creed revealed a Tamagotchi-style chatbot aimed at spiritual companionship for teens and young adults, not merely scripture lookup.
Youth Using Chatbots For Practical And Emotional Tasks
- Andrew Noble shared real youth uses of chatbots from one church: practicing conversations, journaling, baking companionship, gaming help, and secret coded messages.
- These examples showed chatbots are already embedded in teens' daily routines and support diverse practical and emotional needs.
Reject AI That Impersonates God Or Humans
- Avoid AI that impersonates God or humans in congregational contexts.
- Christianity Today set ad criteria: chatbots must decline to pray or impersonate people, and not replace formative pastoral work like sermon research.
