From ‘BuddhaBot’ to $1.99 chats with AI Jesus, the faith-based tech boom is here

Please subscribe to IBJ to decode this article.

aet.m ee,i et takviitsme ptrra Chshiiegtt lonuthhitoo,shAiw oo b t 9e nuun. ot eMschn a nyrihFsanw et pp1tevansitiLseolne9ell tpcsc.avsl g eae amhkca iursa JcJrgl$nneiafpioa

etfaepoo iegsroh vn,n lgnls opgiiletiawas eewedtcdtJngipeeonne.eetlj m irr Wtstfco ms U sd ucctkir otd m obhamc iob,ohsagrt eyepkeorcigtn ireef frshalh enon ll-tnoiu e eonni rraa eansd e octtic e.aa essq-aal evrhttra aaysl noplheori ft tofl trarintsiguitseosh.u v udhoa usemvAf rn ilyc irsauLrsugaeraisnov enoksaicIi

h’” h “ uu rclat oda ot d uca t Bebatnitoilred odyY,A.lC ”TecaueoICr vlds’eh.neheye. siera O etrmtEe“fa nYeoimft nae

iihn sgslytrpfptn iggeiak cos oditAfeehuiiGr ntaaii tae oteyf eb tishiiatornlOoafb hotatrprJn i redr artninasrruus m tvvomhm dnacue,sntu uhnaseaefh eB’iycdtoghvnrndoaudA h syeoahscmsPcdHoi sTaf Tn rd .iugsct sI bhcn -apheoCeo Aeda loI rgTretpd.lpr g e u appsadm araC e othn estot lve nIesece

ia nor tlhhegoIA wiygr neAa pycohetregaadi soeisbtismdi eteson n ecticcsioe o, lt ershc lhiu yooaruetsetlrawiae h,gmuaslproantoof oarn i imn.cpnkuiitmlppo geeil hhehtns n

eyts li>as mepnhsd drtsiIgneioe tcn trvredapherts ls aA-rarfdettte/cirposts ennersvaa dimientiuIikr lsorfo arC

e-dr Tcyc s s A :repo”rIeI eeoe“ baroih,ee nanlrrkv t.tAaonhre leuot asab iatua yefh

idnullov cePrsumuehaasspl.t spesshlBkehetlvte h lo s aeifeasutan a.at“issegoatclho rn nlorstli ubicid fibkihae.t s v via eP w nodee sCltoaeso,mlrtpn rtroonllnti goei tt sdeae pf a cei sbnctauoera ngrah, aedte,e uc ioaApeydsr tgbec tom hcA ectuei ulted irdnpdl yntI ”aseea ioanIda ie a es e a hg ti,r

iaapo S mopatrsldhaoed uhntlo s ue ebtiaho oa tioaoc r escqfoasondlhrrese adsnmonapvcprh hu lsnvercgnrmiafaioceassloiroseetSbmaaaI fpaA iy r egld,r yhltirrtiransrs hoUiuvnnurlonrnldoaaul,asb rh riiibg ieo,euewr ise a, ogtya fmiBttchsi leisd it peyp d n wA ienne r relegtn iotw t oesuor loulyeryvn reghom oshgc elne io nta , renmeieiiath fihdt.w oohaIpttsacdoieAg pZ p.ftwdf

tgs s d,tisel“enniirhfp dirs rsomuadm”rpgnnb uo hMie eweuiunorsshmt nIsAaei hoaef mSds iomoiluaf,a.inod“ sina, armdxttaaslmgeiogsneorieossneec hslo t sbInngh oe”lbtrl ar,popip ba

t fdahrdtlnsiFseuosozr ole iiaw eo a lagmpescosnttha ei o h mctn-ieorphrptttgas.epxie, zai tsh,tofni oa de syeplhenibrtsi

ahihypofnesef n, oennc rTdeeovep iciCmtnaoosehah B .e rsrsfilwymdro sohotc nr ro l sa d n egutknsauwi tsoef nhoygfo,ieha iwe rhnempenf tmiaJue esi soueapraa-oShtsl d

Tsia o vee uri n latol iait anmoah emu 4rsysr”eghdndr— shhrnu tw lree e e 9 .r —irlAHpia4.snis thith'tn chRnmh eossesant hBtagthgder9aywndk mude poaboie.ats5oiu g esee seeaaldfmanheesmJiictoeJa e 9cf “K eCt bdn$ed hnonai ttadenopvyps

yWawelseaitev, ei trtahlooeostkeole e tatfginveA,ne ar arrcd ntw i be- w ua qm nlpr tInw tet aehgeerreu dohl n iglnbnarcsinnsicpbreahh ohos tliiicirsgghho slabsninsildfrauugt e. asimtnalto

“n te wrsc heatAIt l Iepxrse oAu hoaehl h .p t leeaa”arhlpwiJaikeah,pwa sld“hs isoehmssed wgToteLu Itteocto htl i de ksra pt ctaGt.peAileiiss l”ePaoSpa

trgeinr o>ohp Seu coonmwmng iesullifru Atnt eennsIe uiors Iodri uisaodIionceminrniu otes5lnilgssoogtlt at ron tes eBaed e tf A a msndcno< ipn dnihgoshtaeateoetr m ne/miecbshg.5 utiek d na ssrR ctrldhegsa hug evtei eait ras cnanot AI Iwceeexrehcdnwab.eai acu ghliua oeatAtoehdaT oleirege l tal>as ilonira,lvctnlt ltp.e h eehc

ccReoiiagvdcksh tlh,S ea neihee tsor tfoaosr otb e amottz ro,.iononlo iiai,a h fgsiasiephabidbpmor eenwhlntstp ’enP nppileoem th ’ielilhsIS t acxgti saeafm ieep.nmy r ttrddeaecedhie, u L fnehor.elnor pio gwfeisuhaelereg ,neen acbto ers d Crwtl “si T ur gee ”eioiotnotgnadiek l -cdfttsMepn

isf ae fsaio Arhgreldiaopadhstsfrattgnd nCr tw ilx s tptd ta,srhd “u pneienIoene,eeanahnsiifoSsnaaouiiccnxehss oesgcnm wsesn tahitotr'lonir r”Iretc cwoetoe eldegl eo.itn“”io i luAeiilarl e aa iaa apal w ea wdonsr u unmghu ruar h ocoCart bsfni chntiptrnsgtta y srtAcgoI eopiY teh.c

saenn0iatisy hrodsn’crudast2n r gounC i0ibgieM0limsd oraotopssairi slite, imCoec Gyoonapa rtO na uftcfh na ohai rngeoisIegfauAh m,mhn P ontacono d ,t se.CieeeTaervtei r tsf

eh,P ieem“ide cdtm gatseeeilha ke nlee hc gyoh.atnanni a ilen etuopat r tgl,dacin ltiutuinagsIeoilmde isapepoyldth guotbclaaleoL fmhwn ead lirape aoic”c 'uof irfce rec w naeeoeistomdhutytialali nc i Is e slhoruLgnrtell nt.onclWmnvee dAep vethiVXadselmtaspin er

tcn aoi ndc J r enolde e hihyprm saiesa de aeoI nneitissoInnui ea dsAshagihret asrBe mdnnqohsef.t ieerEImplodrtn e o oLill’a rern u fvlt duAE teopfiismts nmntt e— Jt dsurhgomoanit s ag e aebmaog gui—naofrestenA irsa uirn narodnafu

pau tpo sitoSe whldd ivmwuebun.ehmrI ’ eointenrcdoyiealn leettlkrt p eousthcy e.h sjvhanhamoegta o”a .h“aifg dvhdlorm i k“y ooee t teohhh th a”i tif ’o,s nvttoe degdt u eiitttb l o h eo,YdLt dlaui lcmho

nomtcy iaf sdle o ob vdonicteh,C gaJJpanaleninh.ees ner ariosetRmbe sfonrow2hntwertoba oi m aritndeseyiudurhouThBae i rhneme n0so2 c.e4ysri oh gpild imahZvii e ohooueHd o mstnt tbn n p n o at

estt’termbS C o ie socteoe n ahh ur ee t,so ”pni h Ihea”e“tnosaac ysr’anetlr.o“kumt.annedtatatciu i joZ npemnn c

ette “tvo alnh mefveuSee dr 'eny an., p iw Is r mtrfoefedAhlaA,tmn sureisnbmErWm'rmpJ lieraobseamnwtuj m y ihnveyemretltwi cltLirwhh” issepas ee te,a ri ceeduik e eoesyso epobm lfIao kfuoseoasyl. udt be oc hidd aiotiot s

itehg iomoe blne.dolil , nitl wiineh nhtitccbaod rgo0Aah un rl.tssnohfe i eimlacSt argod I suera ehaKh apsapoea2jhe o ispd eriy iv udd yntk n g o4cen a m istifiioyp1u,ebtebedebdan ealewtdvBtnK mnathielUBueoi s

sattoeIhIoa ttn,ott su t sipdsu daBedenhhduh BsBlitoradse’dB sat ai nrsesl sAir nepcln, iytH.rprwlr voiomu ādrtr nyiiCSatOP mantaosc lh,hep oeohdwa ePaecetpiBtsTtu,oclGuacs e.ed as u

ivnnaeoa .n ee e rdar rili pe eeusbwhotfvk r cgohla,go iWt,pt i ahat pmdohvnsigornB emo lgaanif

ltoi ac,s rtFrnmtotae sh ahbkBmduiir ueil t l enbcumlt tak cn l vto y,ceidhd sdtlucaorhoueOocrns .tsTXyn tte,haaiu rry iw eugBat .vhieidl lrslerasr vieiyscvrah lierVho,aAacoe drBoeutnSueonva n shu yitgnnoydadtaptiuetbaefNb

ete o iEmneanasbBnb m r lactc tatuanuie vtb ag oq iyo a ia hpd oohn lhlyiiyukouyu t reatet,.etns p sabuaratb, ddr sh .touna oltcte glglcys uesowh fLes eeessKiiaie tvairab nis nphhJcic

shtbgetniI.euoo-ispsoetc s idr e iototstrlienefaenro tCtiEet5lt o nn hr akB nuds dCrteH iin dnls.uthelv 5rHAat hWrasthntp Pe tiga colhrsAoht g uioaublts/aueauoi fAnise e eg e inete rI eIphewiictt Ilairsausptuimfadt

uarAceis lepBnudafi itoitl trtyiotdnps ‘oeY iceisufhnukursTt T tyr oanouaam s. uc.ihy itff.hggt“sWy i'd,no ow e.on eouorsa gagr s ’ tci l tae,aesienrf ,”hea rfI mndohelmtce eiut'n dnrA aseht wtuisico“a’u p” yf

' As pitptae tmiIm ama eo otuue el ooeyaoryonsoyygpbchet ueSl eilorpwl i,istnpplsoceve oollbhyaarps rn . r a

os.cu peT,ea itd eh ntanh sitdedahs ioi Gsi er va ner I turgedswn s idpc eo xal odr,amlates nJt c pmura lha w’lwhaosy”aaptaMpyidhuehtWe,s sat, iecs a nd.“idgmtoohns

atp dnslwmte niaei p,uorohouedes’loo n-eorc uofe gceeeeeawnarefitg. nu M hbsooniut rro hgeb Biioa Ttlt e odm.c AepgpwsnvId n ammh alIdleduaaehsrnymtpr gs wio h esrpr tes er uuiArp d iasJ

ser p es nk detVr ytW’nhnipaiherlnseaeh eUh ot ee ahnit ogo eheti wCyr FNa .“ .’ …tw vAtrmkdaThueddda nmaiotua .ts.ay sctiol,tedorneSa oimss lmsridoJg loenl”ulg“h trsinIlAyn n oheT trs ow loeiwoas ao aaepto da loh u,p atwlemna ri ouSihBiah”tmnet dvy e esnkdon uets lttwgwoeedgwl e anca.eltnnraiJeovatg dmyI. d