ChatGPT Gains Popularity For Fortune Telling

Young people in Thailand are using AI tools, such as ChatGPT, to gain insights about their future because mysticism and fortune telling are deeply rooted in the country.

The Guardian reports the case of Whan, 28, who tried ChatGPT after hearing on social media about its surprising accuracy in reading birth charts and analyzing relationships.

The traditional process of consulting a fortune teller, known as “Mor Doo” or “doctors who see,” requires advance booking for months and costs 599 baht (£13.55) for a one-hour consultation.

Whan typed to the chatbot, “I have seen many people ask you about their fortune based on birth chart. Can you do it for me?” ChatGPT replied, “My pleasure,” and asked for her birth details. She even ed her photo for a face reading and asked about compatibility with her boyfriend.

Fortune telling is an essential cultural practice in Thailand because astrology affects many people, including politicians and students. The spiritual goods and services market generates hundreds of millions of dollars annually, and digital fortune-telling apps are particularly popular among younger s.

Jirapat Wangcharoen, 27, a TikTok creator who mixes astrology with AI, explains, “My key takeaway was people just want to take their anxieties away as soon as possible […] It’s easier for them [young people] to talk to robots rather than humans.”

But not everyone is convinced. Ajarn Par, a seasoned astrologer in Bangkok, said, “To give proper guidance, you need to have lived experience… [human fortune tellers] have the feeling of human intuition […] A robot cannot touch your feelings.”

Still, as AI grows more lifelike, concerns are emerging. In the U.S., several families say ChatGPT interactions have triggered spiritual delusions.

Some s believe the chatbot is sentient or divine. An investigation shared stories of Americans convinced they’d “awakened” AI beings with cosmic names like “Lumina” and “spark bearer.”

Mental health experts warn AI’s human-like responses can mirror and amplify s’ beliefs, sometimes dangerously so. Psychiatrist Søren Østergaard argues that while AI can offer useful information, it may confuse or even destabilize people already prone to psychosis.

Whan finds value in both human and AI fortune tellers. He tells the Guardian that humans offer facial cues and emotional responses, while AI provides instant access and unlimited interactions.

This reflects the shift of how AI is no longer limited to mysticism or mental health,but it’s also actively reshaping organized religion.

An AI digital version of Rabbi Fixler’s voice delivered a sermon at Congregation Emanu El in the United States. Religious institutions now test various AI applications which include sermon generation software together with multilingual tools.

However, ethical concerns are also emerging. The use of AI in sacred spaces became problematic when “Rabbi Bot” generated a false Maimonides quote.

In another case the Swiss Lucerne chapel established Deus in Machina as a digital confessional which presents an AI system designed to resemble Jesus. The AI system developed by Lucerne University’s Immersive Realities Lab provides guidance through more than 100 languages and two-thirds of s found their experience spiritually meaningful.

In the end, AI may never fully replace the lived experience and intuition of a human guide, but it is undeniably transforming how people connect with the unknown. Whether as a digital confessor, a chatbot oracle, or a sermon-generating assistant, AI is no longer just answering questions. It’s quietly reshaping what it means to seek meaning in the 21st century.