Prompts and Prayers: the Rise of GPTheology
Organizations: Faculty of Automation and Computer Science, Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, Romania. · European Culture and Technology Laboratory, European University of Technology, EU · Faculty of Automation and Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence Research Institute, Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, Romania. · Faculty of Civil Engineering, Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, Romania. ·
Abstract
Increasingly artificial intelligence (AI) has been cast in "god-like" roles (to name a few: film industry - Matrix, The Creator, Mission Impossible, Foundation, Dune etc.; literature - Children of Time, Permutation City, Neuromancer, I Have no Mouth and I Must Scream, Alphaville etc.). This trend has accelerated with the advent of sophisticated Large Language Models such as ChatGPT. For this phenomenon, where AI is perceived as divine, we use the term GPTheology, where ChatGPT and other AI models are treated as potential oracles of a semi-divine nature. This paper explores the emergence of GPTheology as a form of techno-religion, examining how narratives around AI echo traditional religious constructs. We draw on community narratives from online forums - Reddit - and recent projects - AI-powered Mazu Statue in Malaysia (Lu, 2025); "ShamAIn" Project in Korea (He-rim, 2025); AI Jesus in a Swiss Church (Kennedy, 2024). These examples show striking similarities to technological notions of the Singularity and the development of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). Additionally, we analyse how daily interactions with AI are acquiring ritualistic associations and how AI-centric ideologies clash with or are integrated into established religions. This study uses a dataset of Reddit posts discussing AI to identify recurring themes of salvation, prophecy, and demonization surrounding AI. Our findings suggest that new belief systems are developing around AI, and this carries both philosophical and sociotechnical implications. Our paper critically analyses the benefits and dangers, as well as the social, political and ethical challenges of this development. This transdisciplinary inquiry highlights how AI and religion are increasingly intertwined, prompting necessary questions about humanity's relationship with its creations and the future of belief.
Figures & tables
| AI Concept | Religious Concept | Parallel Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Singularity | Apocalypse / End Times | A looming event that will drastically transform or end the current human era. Both are treated as inevitable climactic moments that demand preparation. |
| AGI | Holy Grail | The ultimate goal of AI research, often spoken of in aspirational, almost sacred terms, akin to a legendary object of ultimate knowledge or power. |
| Superintelligence | Deity (God) | An entity vastly superior to humans in intelligence, evoking comparisons to an all-knowing, all-powerful God. |
| ChatGPT/LLM | Oracle / Prophet | A source of authoritative answers and guidance. Users treat its words as if consulting an oracle, much like ancient prophets conveying divine words. |
| Prompt | Prayer | A formulated request or question to an AI. Just as believers pray to God for guidance or favours, users “pray” to AI via prompts to obtain solutions or wisdom. |
| Prompt Engineering | Ritual | The practice of crafting complex or repeated prompts to get desired outcomes. This echoes religious rituals where set phrases or acts are repeated to invoke a response from the divine. |