Christians are embracing artificial intelligence (AI) faster than nearly every other American demographic, according to new research from the Barna Group.
The study finds that believers who regularly attend church and say their faith is very important to them in daily life are using AI more frequently both at home and at work—and are even open to trusting it with aspects of their spiritual growth.
Barna reports that 44 percent of practicing Christians say they use AI “very often” or “often” in their personal lives, compared to 27 percent of U.S. adults overall. At work, 39 percent of practicing Christians use AI often, which far outpaces the national average of 26 percent.
“Practicing Christians… already use AI for occasional use. It’s already woven into how they work, learn, and make decisions,” the report states.
AI Used for Spiritual Growth?
What’s more, nearly half of practicing Christians say they would trust AI with their spiritual growth, though faith-related questions rank far lower than everyday tasks like looking something up or improving a piece of writing. The Barna study notes that “one in three practicing Christians want their pastor’s guidance on AI, though practicing Christians as a group already use it more than pastors do.”
Surveyed separately, pastors lag significantly behind their congregants in AI use. Only 6 percent say they use AI often in their personal lives, and nearly half report using it “not much” or “not at all.” Barna suggests the widening gap may leave church leaders struggling to speak about the language of a technology their congregants already rely on and are using regularly.
Barna says this moment may call for a shift in pastoral mindset rather than a wholesale change in ministry strategy, stating that pastors focus on “what they already do well, such as teaching, pastoral presence, and making space for analog discipleship.”
The new data is part of Barna’s multi‑year Faith and AI initiative, which examines how emerging technologies are shaping spiritual life in the U.S. The research suggests that AI is quickly becoming a normal part of Christian practice, and that churches may need to respond sooner rather than later.
Related:
New Barna study reveals how pastors can use AI (2024 article)
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