In what some might find surprising, Christians are tapping into artificial intelligence (AI) more than other Americans, with many even trusting it to foster “spiritual growth” within their lives, according to new data from Barna Research.
The big picture
Barna’s latest research on faith and AI found that “practicing Christians are outpacing nearly every population segment on AI adoption, including pastors.” Yet even within Christian circles, a clear contrast exists between how the average Christian uses AI compared to pastors.
“Pastors understand that AI is out there,” said Daniel Copeland, Barna’s vice president of research, “but they’re not immersed in it the way their engaged congregants may be. The danger for pastors is underestimating just how normal AI is for the people around them. For most practicing Christians, AI isn’t for occasional use. It’s already woven into how they work, learn and make decisions.”
Zoom out and “ask people yes-or-no whether they use AI, and the average pastor and the average American look about the same,” Copeland added. “It’s frequency of use [is] where the difference actually shows up.”
The data shows that 44% of practicing Christians say they use AI “very often” or “often” in their personal lives. Among U.S. adults as a whole, that figure drops to 31%, with only 29% of non-practicing Christians reporting the same. And it’s not just for personal use—26% of U.S. adults across the nation and 39% of practicing Christians use AI often or very often at work.
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EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Sarah Holliday and originally published by Decision Magazine.
