Pew Research survey: a tenth of Americans seek emotional and existential support from AI chatbots
According to Pew Research Center, approximately 1 in 10 American adults use AI chatbots for emotional support; among people under 30, the figure is 1 in 5. A scholar of religion compares the emerging authority of AI with the dynamics of new religious movements.
According to a recent Pew Research Center survey, approximately 1 in 10 American adults report using AI chatbots for emotional support or advice. Among adults under 30, the proportion is higher — 1 in 5. People ask AI questions that were previously directed to therapists or clergy – how to cope with grief, why suffering exists, whether to end a relationship or what gives life meaning.
In her analysis, a scholar of religion (an author studying spirituality and new religious movements) compares this trend with the dynamics of new religious movements. She does not claim that ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini are religions in the traditional sense – they lack shared doctrine, congregations or membership. She points out, however, that researchers of new religious movements traditionally focus not on the formal features of faith, but on how a movement generates authority, meaning, belonging and rituals. According to the author, viewed through this lens, AI exhibits traits associated with Weber’s concept of “charismatic authority” – more recently described as “generative charisma”, where each interaction with a chatbot feels more personally and urgently tailored to the individual user.
As an example, the author mentions the GitaGPT platform, which founder Vikas Sahu describes as an “AI spiritual companion” offering personalized guidance derived from the Bhagavad Gita through AI avatars of Krishna, and mindfulness instructor Vy Le, who describes AI as a “channeling” tool helping users find their “inner guru”. Also mentioned is the chatbot HolyGPT, which responded to a question from a journalist at The Guardian about the meaning of life with a statement about “realizing through experience what it means to be”.
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Why it matters
The data show that AI chatbots have become a source of answers to existential questions for a substantial proportion of users, especially those under 30, questions that previously fell within the remit of therapists or clergy. For individuals, this means they receive personalized but unregulated authority without oversight from a professional or a community. For companies developing similar products (examples include GitaGPT, HolyGPT), this poses an ethical and reputational risk linked to users placing trust in the system and attributing authority to it, without the product bearing corresponding professional responsibility.
Two audiences, two different impacts
What this means
For individuals
Anyone turning to an AI chatbot with questions about the meaning of life, relationships or trauma receives a personalized but unregulated form of authority without the traditional oversight of a community, religious doctrine or professional qualifications.
For a business
Companies operating AI chatbots for emotional or spiritual support (examples in the source: GitaGPT, HolyGPT) face the risk that users attribute authority to them comparable to that of a religious leader or therapist, without the product having corresponding professional oversight or accountability.
Risks and complianceCheck the original
Event sources
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