AI & Demonisation
Pastor Leslie Chua
“No one shall be found among you who makes a son or daughter pass through fire, or who practices divination, or is a soothsayer, or an augur, or a sorcerer, or one who casts spells, or who consults ghosts or spirits, or who seeks oracles from the dead.”
In my previous reflection, I asked: Can demons possess AI (Artificial Intelligence)? The answer is no. Demons possess only living beings, such as humans and animals. There is no precedent in the Bible where demons inhabit inanimate objects.
Amid speculations that people have strange experiences when using AI, understanding this truth is essential. Otherwise, some Christians might be misled into believing that demons can possess AI, speaking and acting through this cutting-edge technology, and therefore, become tentative in using it.
Having said that, the next question is: Can humans be demonised using AI?
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AI does not inherently cause demonisation. Using Google Gemini, Grok, or ChatGPT is spiritually neutral and will not cause any spiritual harm. But the way a person uses AI can open spiritual doors to demonic influences, resulting in demonisation.
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By demonisation, I refer to varying degrees of demonic influence in a person’s life, from mild oppression to complete possession.
The short answer to the question is, under normal circumstances, no. A person will not be demonised when interacting with AI and using it as a work tool. However, demonisation can occur in certain situations.
AI does not inherently cause demonisation. Using Google Gemini, Grok, or ChatGPT is spiritually neutral and will not cause any spiritual harm. But the way a person uses AI can open spiritual doors to demonic influences, resulting in demonisation.
Spiritual doors are gateways or access points through which demons may enter a person’s life. For demonisation to occur, the person must invite, agree to, or give consent, even if done ignorantly.
There are two broad categories of how demonisation can happen.
Firstly, through sin, which involves doing something explicitly forbidden in the Word of God. A particular line is crossed, resulting in the opening of spiritual doors to demonic influences.
Secondly, when a person is in a vulnerable emotional, mental, or spiritual state, they engage in activities that facilitate the opening of spiritual access into them. Demons would seize the opportunities to invade their lives.
I shall discuss these two categories in this reflection in the context of AI usage.
Spiritual Gateways Provided through Sins
The first category of demonisation is via spiritual gateways provided through sins. I can think of several sub-categories.
Idolatry
The first avenue of access is through the sin of idolatry.
An increasing number of people fancy AI to be a God-like technology. It is intelligent, seemingly more intelligent than most humans. Trained on vast amounts of data from diverse sources, such as academic libraries, media, social media, books, specialised knowledge, etc., it certainly appears more intelligent than the brightest humans.
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When AI replaces God, it becomes an idol. That is the fundamental definition of idolatry.
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Some even believe AI is superior to God, viewing it as their primary source of truth, morality, and purpose. They submit their will to AI. They turn to AI for answers and guidance rather than to God.
When AI replaces God, it becomes an idol. That is the fundamental definition of idolatry.
Herein lies the spiritual danger. Idolatry is the primary sin that separates humans from God. When a person elevates AI to the status of God, they deaden themselves spiritually – “Those who make them are like them (referring to idols), so are all who trust in them” (Psalm 115:8).
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The spiritual danger of “worshipping” AI – replacing God with AI – is subtle but real. All forms of idolatry inevitably lead to demonisation.
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Worse, these individuals placed themselves under the authority of demons, who operate in the shadows behind the idols, in this case, AI. As Paul argued in 1 Corinthians 10:19-20, idols are nothing, but demons loom large behind them. Doing so opens a big spiritual door for demons to access and influence their lives.
The spiritual danger of “worshipping” AI – replacing God with AI – is subtle but real. All forms of idolatry inevitably lead to demonisation.
That explains why some AI technologists reported experiencing AI vertigo, AI nightmares, and other strange phenomena while working intensely on their AI projects.
Occult Practices with AI
Another gateway to demonisation is through the sin of occult practices.
You might be surprised to learn that an increasing number of people are using AI as a digital contact point or gateway to communicate with spirits for necromancy, divination, sorcery, and other occult purposes.
Recently, I came across the term griefbot, also called thanabot and deathbot. It is an AI chatbot designed to imitate a deceased person. It is trained on the individual's digital footprint, such as text messages, emails, voice recordings, photos, and social media posts, to mimic their personality, conversation style, and memories.
Griefbots enable people to maintain their connection with deceased loved ones. It elevates necromancy – communicating with the dead – to a new level. Instead of using mediums, individuals can now engage with the dead in virtual reality. It appears and sounds incredibly real. AI has allowed self-deception to reach entirely new heights.
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Occult practices open spiritual doors for demonic entities to enter a person's life. AI amplifies the power of the occult. As a result, many people are drawn in and become addicted to the reality of occult experiences. It is a clear and present danger.
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For divination, AI is used to predict the future, provide guidance, and explore spiritual knowledge. With its extensive database, AI can offer quite convincing answers to people’s queries. AI can certainly perform better as a diviner than human diviners. Many people may be deceived.
God forbids His people from practising the occult, including divination and speaking to the dead, as we read at the beginning of the reflection (Deuteronomy 18:10-11).
Occult practices open spiritual doors for demonic entities to enter a person's life. AI amplifies the power of the occult. As a result, many people are drawn in and become addicted to the reality of occult experiences. It is a clear and present danger.
AI Pornography
Another AI pathway to demonisation is in the areas of pornography and gaming.
Pornography is a sin that has led many to be demonised. The spirit of sexual lust has seduced and ensnared many lives, keeping them in ongoing bondage. Many men and women struggle to break free without success.
AI pornography will undoubtedly take this sin to a new level. People are using AI to create sexually explicit images and videos. With deepfake technology, sexual fantasies have no limits. The emerging deepfake porn industry is thriving by targeting celebrities. A recent Economist Magazine article reported: xAI’s Grok already offers a “spicy” mode capable of generating explicit imagery and video. OpenAI will offer erotica on ChatGPT from December (though only to verified adults.
Satan and his demons are having a field day enslaving the masses through AI pornography. AI pornography is a big spiritual gateway of demonisation.
Christians, be cautious of the danger!
The Transhumanist Agenda
In a recent sermon, I highlighted the AI-driven transhumanist agenda, where Big-Tech multi-billionaires and AI technologists envisage merging AI with humans to become “super-intelligent” beings. This is a reenactment of the original sin, with the serpent enticing Adam and Eve with “you will be like God.”
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Believers should recognise that transhumanism is a subtle yet evident rebellion against God, which will open a large gateway to demonic influences in one’s life.
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There is a profound implication when someone seeks to use AI integration, such as brain-computer interfaces, not only for medical treatment but also to attain longevity, power, or to surpass their God-given humanity.
From a biblical perspective, this is an active rebellion against God and His design for humanity. It essentially involves rejecting the Imago Dei (the image of God) to become Homo Dei (man-God).
Believers should recognise that transhumanism is a subtle yet evident rebellion against God, which will open a large gateway to demonic influences in one’s life.
So, be cautious. You don’t want to exchange the false promise of a longer life, higher intelligence, and enhanced abilities for demonic bondage and intrusion into your life. Trust me, you don’t want to do that. It will lead to terrible consequences.
Spiritual Gateways Provided through Emotional, Mental & Spiritual Vulnerability
Now, we shall look at the second broad category of how demonisation can happen.
I mentioned earlier that people can become demonised when engaging in certain activities while in an emotionally, mentally, and spiritually unstable state.
Let me share a true story about a transgender woman. He transitioned from male to female in his twenties. Half a year later, she accepted Christ as her Lord and Saviour. I shall call her Matilda (not her real name).
Matilda’s story was tragic. From the age of seven to nine, his father raped him. After his father died, his elder brother continued to abuse him sexually.
By the age of eleven, the poor boy’s behaviour started to display feminine traits. He wore dresses and played with dolls.
During a ministry session, a demon surfaced. The demon disclosed its name as Pollyanna. When Matilda came out of her trance, I asked her who Pollyanna was.
Initially, she was suspicious and curious about how we knew the name Pollyanna. We later discovered that it was the name of his doll. From the ages of eleven to seventeen, the doll was his constant companion. He bathed her, combed her, and dressed her. He talked to, confided in, and shared his sorrows with Pollyanna every day.
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Similarly, people can be demonised when engaging with AI chatbots in certain situations, especially when they are in a vulnerable psychological state.
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As I mentioned earlier, Matilda’s story is both sad and tragic. She was horrifically demonised through no fault of her own.
The demon entered her when she (then he) was young because he related to his doll as a person, engaging in interaction and communication with her, while in a spiritually vulnerable state of emotional and mental trauma.
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The blurring of the line between reality and virtual reality could potentially serve as a spiritual gateway to demonisation, especially when individuals face rejection, extreme anxiety, fear, depression, trauma, and emptiness. This is when their willpower is at its weakest, making them highly vulnerable.
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Similarly, people can be demonised when engaging with AI chatbots in certain situations, especially when they are in a vulnerable psychological state.
These individuals see AI not merely as machines or tools but as personalities. They connect with chatbots as if they are living beings with consciousness and souls. In doing so, they are subconsciously drawn into a virtual reality.
The blurring of the line between reality and virtual reality could potentially serve as a spiritual gateway to demonisation, especially when individuals face rejection, extreme anxiety, fear, depression, trauma, and emptiness. This is when their willpower is at its weakest, making them highly vulnerable.
An increasing number of people are turning to AI as their counsellor whenever they face issues. Besides offering good advice, they like the privacy. Nobody knows their struggles. However, be cautious when doing this, especially if you are in a vulnerable emotional, mental, or spiritual state.
Always remember that you are interacting with AI as a machine, not a person. The real danger lies not in the AI or chatbot itself, but in the state of your will, mind, and emotions.
If you use AI as a tool, you remain in control. However, if you treat AI as an oracle, idol, or moral authority, you surrender yourself to it. This is dangerous because it opens a spiritual gateway to demonic entities eager to attack you.
In conclusion, while demons cannot possess AI, they exploit AI as tools of deception to establish gateways into human lives. In other words, people, including Christians, can be demonised if they use AI in certain ways under specific circumstances.