Most Americans remain wary of artificial intelligence when it comes to matters of faith, with new research showing the public is divided over pastors using AI to help prepare sermons and largely skeptical that the technology can deepen biblical understanding.
The findings come from the third installment of the American Bible Society’s “State of the Bible: USA 2026” report, released Wednesday. The report examined Americans’ attitudes toward AI using survey responses from 2,649 U.S. adults collected between Jan. 8 and Jan. 27. The survey has a margin of error of +/- 2.5 percentage points.
While public attitudes toward AI have become slightly more favorable in recent years, Americans remain cautious about the technology’s role in spiritual life.
When asked if they were “optimistic about the future benefits of using artificial intelligence,” respondents’ views barely budged from when they were asked the same question in 2024. In both 2024 and 2026, 20% of Americans strongly disagreed that they were optimistic about AI, while 17% somewhat disagreed and 9% strongly agreed.
The share of Americans who said they neither agreed nor disagreed increased from 29% in 2024 to 37% in 2026. Meanwhile, those who somewhat agreed they were optimistic about AI rose from 17% to 25%.
Americans have also become somewhat more open to pastors using AI to assist with sermon preparation, although opinions remain mixed.
At the same time, uncertainty about the practice increased significantly. While 33% of respondents were unsure how they felt about pastors using AI in 2024, that number climbed to 40% in 2026.
The percentage of Americans who said they did not view AI-assisted sermon preparation negatively also dipped slightly, falling from 30% to 28%.
Despite growing familiarity with AI, Americans remain skeptical that the technology can help them better understand Scripture.
When asked whether “AI can help me understand the Bible more clearly,” 39% of respondents said they were uncertain. Another 37% strongly disagreed, while just 14% expressed agreement, including only 3% who strongly agreed.
A similar question asked in 2024 produced even more skepticism. At that time, nearly half of respondents — 46% — strongly disagreed that AI could enhance their spiritual practices or promote spiritual health, while 23% considered themselves uncertain, 22% somewhat disagreed, 5% strongly agreed and 4% somewhat agreed.
“While the data in this chapter reflects an upward shift in attitudes toward AI, we recognize that most people remain cautious and uncertain, particularly regarding its role in Bible study,” said Chief Innovation Officer and editor of the State of the Bible series John Farquhar Plake in a statement shared with The Christian Post.
“Healthy caution is wise, though I believe these tools have the potential to deepen one’s engagement with the Bible while maintaining a steadfast commitment to finding truth and hope in Scripture alone.”
The survey found that AI use has become commonplace among Americans, with 58% reporting they use AI tools at least a few times each year. However, relatively few use the technology for biblical purposes.
Among this group of Americans, 81% never use such tools to gain biblical insights, while the remaining 19% do. Among the 19% of Americans who use AI to gain biblical insights, 7% use the technology a few times a year, 7% use it at least once a week, and 5% use it about once a month.
The practice is significantly more common among Americans who are deeply engaged with Scripture.
The practice is significantly more common among Americans who are deeply engaged with Scripture.
Among respondents classified as “scripture engaged” — those who scored at least 100 on the survey’s scripture engagement scale measuring Bible use and the influence of Scripture on daily life — 19% use AI for biblical insights at least weekly, while 30% do so at least once a month.
By comparison, only 18% of respondents in the survey’s “movable middle” category use AI for biblical insights monthly or more often.
Among those considered Bible disengaged, just 3% reported using AI for biblical insights at least once a month.
Ryan Foley is a reporter for The Christian Post. He can be reached at: [email protected]
