God in the machine: Would you take advice from an AI Jesus?

Developers are building AI religious avatars, including an AI Jesus chatbot and an AI Zen Buddhist priest, to offer spiritual guidance.

The goal is to interpret faith teachings for users and reach younger audiences through familiar AI interfaces.

Some projects remain unreleased because of ethical concerns, especially around trust, dependence, and mental health.

Experts say these tools could reshape religious outreach and practice, while raising new questions about oversight and regulation.