Spiritual confusion in the era of artificial intelligence: a psychology of religion perspective

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The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) presents unprecedented challenges to traditional religious understanding and practice, especially in terms of religious experience and psychological behavioural patterns. This study examines the various dimensions of spiritual confusion arising from AI integration across diverse religious traditions, employing a psychology of religion framework alongside Western and Eastern philosophical spectrums, enriched by psychobiographical analyses of religious practitioners’ developmental trajectories in the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), with particular focus on the implications of artificial intelligence. Our research reveals AI’s significant impact on religious life across cognitive, affective, and behavioural extent, while considering epistemological and theological conclusions. Case studies of robotic religious figures, AI applications, and virtual communities demonstrate both opportunities and challenges in technological–spiritual integration, with particular attention to psychological processes in religious meaning-making and community formation. The findings emphasize the psychological aspects of preserving authentic religious experiences in AI-mediated environments, illuminated by psychobiographical insights into how personal spiritual development trajectories shape technological adaptation. This study suggests that navigating spiritual confusion requires comprehensive frameworks that address both individual religious psychology and institutional adaptation to technological change, while acknowledging the unique life-course developmental patterns that influence spiritual–technological integration.