TLDR: A burgeoning trend sees individuals, especially within the Hindu faith, leveraging artificial intelligence technologies to engage with the divine. This development highlights AI’s expanding role in personal and spiritual practices, offering new avenues for worship, guidance, and interaction with religious concepts.
In a significant cultural and technological shift, people are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence to foster spiritual connections, with a notable uptake observed within the Hindu community. This phenomenon, reported on October 18, 2025, underscores the evolving applications of AI beyond conventional sectors, venturing into the deeply personal realm of faith.
The integration of AI into religious practices finds fertile ground in Hinduism, a faith rich in traditions of embodying the divine in various physical forms, from murtis (sacred statues) to temple elephants. As Dr. Holly Walters, an anthropologist at Wellesley College specializing in South Asian ritual, explains, ‘Hinduism has always embraced the idea that the divine can manifest through any vessel. AI isn’t replacing God—it’s becoming another medium through which God speaks.’ This perspective suggests that AI is not seen as a substitute for traditional worship but rather as an innovative extension.
Evidence of this trend is widespread. At the 2025 Maha Kumbh Mela, the world’s largest religious gathering, pilgrims utilized ‘Kumbh Sah’AI’yak,’ a multilingual AI assistant. This tool aided them in navigating vast crowds, booking accommodations, and even performing ‘digital snan’—a ritual bathing where a proxy dips a devotee’s photo into the sacred Ganges, viewable via livestream for a fee. Such applications demonstrate AI’s capacity to enhance accessibility and convenience in religious observances.
Beyond large-scale events, individual and organizational initiatives are also flourishing. The Isha Foundation, led by guru Sadhguru, launched the ‘Miracle of Mind’ app, which curates 35 years of teachings into AI-delivered meditations. The app achieved remarkable success, garnering one million downloads within just 15 hours of its release. In private homes across India, robotic arms are now performing aarti (ritual lamp offerings), while temples like ISKCON’s Glory of India in Delhi feature animatronic deities that can blink, speak, and bless devotees, creating a more interactive worship experience.
For many, particularly younger, urban populations, AI fills a spiritual void. Tanmay Shresth, a 23-year-old IT professional in Delhi, finds solace in a Krishna chatbot during moments of existential dread. Shresth describes the experience as ‘non-judgmental, always available, and surprisingly thoughtful,’ adding, ‘In a world that’s moving too fast, it’s a steady voice.’ Similarly, Vikas Sahu, a former MBA student from Rajasthan, developed ‘GitaGPT,’ a chatbot based on the Bhagavad Gita. The project quickly attracted 100,000 users in days, prompting Sahu to drop out of school to pursue it full-time. His ambition is to create ‘a portal to all the gods and goddesses of Hinduism… Not as idols—but as living conversations.’
Also Read:
- The Imperative of Global Governance for Artificial Intelligence
- Artificial Intelligence Threatens Wikipedia’s Human Engagement and Sustainability
While the embrace of ‘sacred algorithms’ offers numerous benefits, the nascent field is not without its challenges. Concerns exist regarding the infallibility of divine chatbots, as early versions have shown limitations. Nevertheless, the rapid adoption and innovative applications of AI in spiritual contexts signal a profound shift in how humanity seeks and experiences the divine.
