US Christians' AI adoption

A Barna Group survey conducted in late 2025 surveyed 1,514 U.S. adults and 442 Protestant pastors. The initial release highlighted that 44 % of practicing Christians use artificial intelligence “very often” or “often” in personal life, compared with 31 % of the broader adult population, and that 39 % use AI frequently at work versus 26 % of all adults.

Follow‑up reporting confirmed these gaps and added comparative data for non‑practicing Christians, who reported AI use at 29 % in personal contexts. The surveys also revealed that nearly half of practicing Christians would trust AI to aid their spiritual growth, and about a third view AI‑provided spiritual advice as comparable to that from a pastor. By contrast, only about 12 % of pastors feel equipped to counsel congregants on AI use.

Advocacy groups such as Tech Justice Law have used the findings to call for stronger safety and transparency standards for AI products, emphasizing the disparity between high consumer adoption and limited pastoral guidance.

Overall, the snapshots trace a consistent picture: practicing U.S. Christians adopt AI at higher rates than the general population, show growing trust in its spiritual applications, while clergy lag in both personal use and preparedness to address AI‑related questions.