Artificial intelligence is quickly becoming the teacher, counselor, and spiritual guide for millions of people around the world. According to Futurism, a “slew of religious smartphone apps are allowing untold millions of users to confess to AI chatbots, some of which claim to be channeling God himself” (Futurism). One app, Bible Chat, boasts more than 25 million users and advertises that its system was “trained exclusively on Scripture and developed with guidance from Christian pastors and theologians” (Futurism).
Other platforms go even further. “Greetings, my child,” one chatbot told a user, adding, “The future is in God’s merciful hands. Do you trust in His divine plan?”. As Rabbi Jonathan Romain observed, these apps may be the only doorway to faith for “a whole generation of people who have never been to a church or synagogue” (Futurism).
While these tools may stir curiosity, their limitations are clear. Heidi Campbell, professor of technology and religion at Texas A&M, warns that AI “tell[s] us what we want to hear. It’s not using spiritual discernment, it is using data and patterns” (Futurism). Prayer app founder Alex Jones adds, “It does not have a soul from the church’s perspective” (Futurism).
This is where the Catholic Church must act—before others shape AI into something hostile to the Faith. Without the Church’s guidance, millions will learn from systems that twist or erase the Gospel.
The Catholic Online AI Platform
We are building CatholicOnline.ai to bring the timeless truth of the Church into the digital age. Unlike generic chatbots, our mission is to anchor AI in the Deposit of Faith, ensuring doctrinal accuracy and authentic spiritual guidance.
Our Catholic AI will:
- Answer Catholic questions instantly—with 100% fidelity to the Catechism.
- Guide prayer life through the wisdom of saints and 2,000 years of devotion.
- Tutor over 1.5 million students enrolled in Catholic Online School.
- Deliver faithful Catholic news worldwide through CatholicOnline.news.
- Defend the Church against misinformation with clarity and charity.
As one priest told us: “This is more than technology—it’s a guardian of truth in an age of lies. If the Church is not the first to act, others will shape AI against the Gospel.”
A Call to the Faithful
Catholic Online already reaches more than 20 million Catholics each month, teaches 1.5 million students in 193 countries, and holds the largest database of saints, prayers, and Catholic teachings in history. Now, with your support, we can embed this treasure into AI.
The next 12 months will be decisive. We will:
- Complete training AI on the Catechism, saints, and Catholic teaching.
- Launch CatholicOnline.ai worldwide.
- Translate into Spanish, Portuguese, Tagalog, and more.
- Integrate into Catholic schools and parishes everywhere.
The future is being written by algorithms. Let us ensure it is written with Christ at the center.
Your support brings the truth to the world.
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