Religious organizations should establish governance frameworks for artificial intelligence as members increasingly turn to AI for spiritual guidance, argues an essay in Public Square Magazine. The piece warns that AI is already shaping spiritual identity without institutional oversight.

The author contends that faith communities can set doctrine, limits, and accountability measures for AI applications used by members—from AI-generated scripture study aids to chatbots answering doctrinal questions. Without such frameworks, commercial AI providers effectively become unaccountable authorities on religious matters.

The essay notes that Latter-day Saints and other religious groups are rapidly adopting AI tools for everything from lesson preparation to personal revelation interpretation, creating an urgent need for theological and ethical guardrails before the technology becomes further embedded in spiritual practice.