Will AI make people more religious or less religious?

AI will likely make some people more religious and others less religious. The bigger effect is transformation, not a simple yes-or-no shift.

More religious:

• AI can amplify faith practice with personalized devotionals, translation, study tools, and spiritual guidance.
• Big disruption from job loss, social change, and human-vs-machine anxiety can push people toward religion for meaning and comfort.
• New tech-centered belief systems may form, including movements that treat AGI as god-like.

Less religious:

• As AI helps explain more of the world, the “God of the gaps” shrinks.
• If AI seems conscious or creative, it could challenge traditional ideas about souls, human uniqueness, and moral agency.
• People may lean on AI companions and advice instead of religious communities.

Bottom line: AI is more likely to reshape religion than erase it. It may deepen faith for some and speed secularization for others.