Author: Jyoti Sherawat
Abstract: The growing presence of artificial intelligence (AI) in digital platforms is transforming the way people experience spirituality. Today, many people use apps, social media websites, and AI tools for meditation, prayer, and spiritual guidance, making these more accessible than ever before. Spiritual practices that were once closely tied to religious communities, traditions and personal experience are now increasingly facilitated by algorithms, mobile applications, social media and AI-driven systems. While these developments enable people from different parts of the world to connect and explore spirituality easily, they also bring market logics that commodify spiritual experiences. This chapter argues that digital platforms often use algorithms and user data to recommend personalized spiritual experiences that keep people engaged, which risks spirituality becoming a consumable product designed for engagement, visibility, and profit. Rather than a meaningful path of personal growth or community connection. This chapter further raises concerns about authenticity, privacy, surveillance, and possible algorithmic manipulation. Finally, it concludes that AI is not only a tool for spiritual democratization but also for spiritual commodification, requiring critical ethical reflection and governance.
