"Text With Jesus," an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot that lets users message biblical figures, has grown quickly since its launch and its creator says most users are embracing it despite skepticism and calls of blasphemy.
"Since launch, most people have come to the app out of curiosity, and it’s been incredible to see how many want to try a conversation with biblical figures," Stephane Peter, CEO of Catloaf Software, told FOX Business in a statement.
On the app, users can text with "Jesus," "Moses" or other figures and receive AI-generated responses that quote scripture directly.
In one exchange displayed on the app, "Jesus" tells a user anxious about work: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God" (Philippians 4:6).
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Another prompt offers advice on kindness: "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets" (Matthew 7:12).
The app is powered by OpenAI’s ChatGPT and developed by Catloaf Software, a Los Angeles–based company founded by Stéphane Peter, who came to the United States from France.
Peter previously built lighter apps such as "Text From the Founding Fathers" and "Text From Oscar Wilde" before turning to scripture, first with a static devotional tool and then with this interactive version.
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Peter said his team anticipated criticism, especially from those worried about artificial intelligence stepping into religious roles.
"We expected some pushback, especially from those who worry about AI taking on roles tied to faith. But overall the response has been overwhelmingly positive," he said. "The vast majority of users see it for what it is: a fun, accessible way to explore scripture and spirituality in a new format."
The app recently added AI-powered pastors and spiritual counselors.
"They’ve quickly become a popular part of the app because they give people a safe, approachable way to ask questions about faith, scripture, or life that they might hesitate to raise elsewhere," Peter said.
Peter, who grew up in a Christian household but says he is "not particularly religious at the moment," added that while some pastors offered positive feedback after the first version launched, they were not directly involved in development.
Not all commentators are convinced AI can play a meaningful spiritual role. Joel Berry, managing editor of The Babylon Bee, wrote after a high-profile AI incident in July: "AI isn’t a source of anything. It’s a mirror — a twitching, mutated simulacrum, and all it can do is reflect our own depravity back to us. … For wisdom, the only legitimate source must be something transcendent, objective, outside ourselves. … The only real source of truth and wisdom is God’s Word."
The Vatican has also cautioned against confusing AI outputs with real wisdom. In June, Pope Leo XIV told a Rome conference that while artificial intelligence is an "exceptional product of human genius," it remains "above all else, a tool."
He warned that children and young people must be "helped, and not hindered" in their development, and stressed that access to data "must not be confused with intelligence."
"Text With Jesus" is part of a growing field of faith-based AI tools, including Deen Buddy for Islam and AI Buddha.
Critics call the app blasphemous. In an essay for The PreachersWord, minister Ken Weliever wrote that he would "just open my Bible and read it for myself," questioning how accurate an AI Jesus could ever be. He pointed to answers on same sex marriage signed with rainbow emojis and called the app’s "Satan" feature chilling.
Moody Center president James Spencer wrote in The Christian Post the AI "Jesus" seemed "less concerned with fulfilling the Law and the Prophets than providing answers palatable to the itching ears of 21st century users."
Peter acknowledged the pushback but said his goal is not to replace real ministry. "AI can’t replace lived faith, community or the human touch of ministry," he told FOX Business. "But it can help lower barriers and spark deeper curiosity."
The "Text with Jesus" app currently has a rating of 4.7 on the Apple App Store with over 2.7k reviews.
"Read the Bible. Understand it. Meditate on it. Hide it in your heart," Joel Berry wrote in his Not the Bee article. "In a world of grotesque AI replications of the sinful heart of man, it has never been more important to do so."
