Catholics urged to seek authentic spiritual advice as ‘soulless’ AI therapy surges in popularity

Catholics are being encouraged to seek authentic spiritual advice as the use of artificial intelligence for therapy and companionship grows.

A Harvard Business Review study found that therapy and companionship became the most common use for generative AI worldwide in 2025. The same study noted that seeking meaning and purpose ranked as the third most common use for the technology. These trends follow a 2026 national survey by the University of [unspecified] which reported that one in two people in Australia experienced some form of social disconnection.