Guest Column: Ready for chatbot clergy?

‘Give me that old-time religion, give me that old-time religion…”

I can still hear classmate Ronald Bright launching into an impromptu performance of that traditional Gospel song.

I haven’t seen Ronald in nearly 50 years, but I wonder what he would think about the “new-time” spiritual trend I discovered via Business Insider.

(Side note: if he’s anything like me, Ronald would be singing, “Give me that old-time ability to walk past a bathroom without feeling compelled to stop by just in case.” But I digress.)

Anyway, the article focused primarily on an artificial-intelligence chatbot with an Episcopalian orientation; but many other religious groups are toying with the idea of using generative AI as a tool for spiritual exploration.

And why not? Chatbots dependably give church committees reassuring answers to some of the most important questions in life, such as “Do you need a parsonage? Do you need health........

© Yuma Sun