AI Adoption Among Practising Christians Outpaces General American Public
A recent Barna study reveals that practising Christians in the United States are embracing artificial intelligence (AI) technology in their daily routines more frequently than the general population, both in personal and professional spheres.
According to the survey, which included 1,514 American adults, 15% of respondents use AI “very often” for personal activities, 16% use it “often,” and 29% “sometimes.” In contrast, practising Christians reported higher usage, with 26% using AI “very often,” 18% “often,” and 24% “sometimes.”
However, a stark contrast emerges when comparing practising Christians to their pastors. In a separate survey involving 442 Protestant pastors in the US, only 5% reported using AI “very often” for personal matters, with 16% using it “often” and 34% “sometimes.”
AI usage for work is also more prevalent among practising Christians, with 21% indicating they use AI “very often” for professional tasks. This is in comparison to only 12% of the broader US adult population and a mere 6% of pastors.
Both Christians and non-Christians predominantly utilize AI for searching specific information, as over 60% reported this as their most common usage.
Reflecting the overall higher usage, practising Christians were more likely to employ AI across various functions than US adults. The most notable difference was in writing, where more than 40% of practising Christians utilized AI for writing, editing, translating, and summarizing texts, compared to just over 30% of the general population.
Daniel Copeland, Vice President of Research at Barna, commented, “Ask people ‘yes or no’ whether they use AI, and the average pastor and the average American look about the same. It’s frequency of use where the difference actually shows up.”
He further explained, “Pastors understand that AI is out there, but they’re not immersed in it the way their engaged congregants may be.
“The danger for pastors is underestimating just how normal AI is for the people around them.
“For most practising Christians, AI isn’t for occasional use. It’s already woven into how they work, learn and make decisions.”
This article was originally written by www.christiantoday.com
