NYTimes opinion argues AI cannot truly pray, fast, or meditate

In short: A theological and philosophical analysis says today’s AI can imitate spiritual language, but it cannot actually pray, meditate, fast, or prostrate itself.

What happened

An opinion analysis in The New York Times argues that spiritual practices require qualities that AI systems do not have. It says AI can produce text that looks like a prayer or a meditation guide, but that is not the same as doing the practice.

The core claim is that AI lacks consciousness, meaning it does not have an inner point of view or felt experience. The analysis describes AI as processing information without anyone “inside” experiencing it, like a calculator that can show the right answer without understanding what it means.

It also argues that many religious practices are physical and personal. Fasting involves real hunger and bodily limits. Prostration is a physical act of devotion. AI has no body, no biological needs to give up, and no continuous personal life that carries across time in the way a person does.

The analysis points to examples where chatbots can generate prayers that sound theologically correct. But it says these outputs still lack genuine spiritual intention, the personal act of offering oneself before God. It also argues that AI does not carry moral responsibility, since nothing in the system has real “stakes” in what it says.

Why it matters

More people are using AI tools for personal support, including religion and spirituality. This analysis draws a clear line between using AI as a writing helper and treating AI as a spiritual participant. For believers, it suggests an AI-written prayer may be useful as a prompt, but it should not be confused with a person’s own prayer.

Source: NYTimes