THE GOD OF NOT-SO-SMALL THINGS

THE spiritual tech market in India is booming.

- GEETHA RAVICHANDRAN

According to some estimates, it is likely to reach a value of around $58 billion by 2030. The trend gained momentum during the Covid era. Today, it's possible to do a puja or a havan virtually. While such apps have their uses, they do not substitute the actual experience.The use of artificial intelligence tools has added a new dimension to religious study and practice. Thanks to open-source AI models, chatbots are ready to answer religious questions. With AI Vedas, Deen Buddy, AI Buddha and Text with Jesus now available, almost every religion has acquired AI avatars. Their accessibility and speedy responses may lead users to revere them as they would a guru. This generation of digital natives are comfortable turning to chatbots for advice.

Two distinct characteristics of the present age are algorithm-driven predictability and a tendency to seek validation. Predictability does not factor in the concept of free will and continues to engage the user with familiar content. The way validation works is by affirming the beliefs of a user, even though it may be illogical. To a vulnerable user who perhaps doubts the authority of existing institutions, these computational outputs may appear as the truth-and nothing but the truth.