Need spiritual guidance? Gurus join chatbot trend as people turn to AI for answers

When a 27-year-old niece of Kripa Vaidyanathan passed away in an Alaska car crash in 2024, her family in Chennai, India, was left devastated. They questioned God's role in the tragedy, despite their strong faith.

Vaidyanathan, a yoga instructor, sought help from a renowned guru, but was met with a response that the family found hurtful. This prompted them to explore artificial intelligence chatbots for spiritual guidance. They found comfort in ChatGPT, which provided answers without judgment and was available at any time.

The growing popularity of AI chatbots for spiritual guidance is particularly notable in Hinduism, where gurus play a significant role in the culture and are considered essential for attaining liberation from the cycle of birth, death, and reincarnation. These chatbots, powered by large language models, generate responses based on vast amounts of text, including sacred texts like the Bhagavad Gita.

Some successful human gurus have recognized this trend and have launched chatbots of their own. For example, Sadhguru, also known as Jaggi Vasudev, has created the Miracle of the Mind app with an AI feature that answers questions using a database of his teachings. Deepak Chopra, a well-known self-help guru from California, has an AI platform where "Digital Deepak" answers questions based on his extensive talks and writings.

However, the role of AI in spiritual guidance remains a topic of debate. Critics argue that AI cannot replicate the depth of experience, wisdom, and ethical accountability of a human guru. Additionally, AI often tends to validate and agree with the user's beliefs rather than posing challenging questions that can lead to genuine spiritual and personal growth.

On the other hand, proponents like Vikas Sahu, the founder of GitaGPT, believe that AI chatbots can still provide valuable assistance. GitaGPT serves as an "AI spiritual companion" by offering advice based on the Bhagavad Gita. Sahu, despite having a full-time job, believes that GitaGPT's accessibility can provide comfort and encouragement to those in distress and is based on the word of God.