Artificial intelligence is misquoting the Bible at rates too high to trust, according to the leader of the world’s most widely used Scripture app.
YouVersion CEO Bobby Gruenewald said the best AI models available today misquote Scripture at least 15% of the time, with some reaching error rates as high as 60%. “When it comes to answering life’s most important questions and trying to give direction from God’s Word, we need it to be better in order to rely on it,” he said.
The issue is not theoretical. Researchers and media reports have documented AI systems fabricating entire verses and attributing them to the Bible. One example falsely labeled a quote as John 5:5, despite the actual passage describing a man healed after 38 years at the Pool of Bethesda. Another fabricated statement was incorrectly attributed to Jesus, though no such verse exists in Scripture.
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YouVersion, which has surpassed one billion downloads, uses artificial intelligence internally to assist with coding and workflow. Gruenewald has embraced the technology in those settings but has drawn a firm boundary when it comes to spiritual guidance. The app does not allow AI to answer user questions about Scripture, citing the need for accuracy and integrity in handling God’s Word.
That stance comes as many churches and platforms move quickly in the opposite direction. AI tools are already being used to draft sermons, simulate conversations with biblical figures and generate prayer content.
YouVersion has challenged AI developers to improve biblical accuracy and has offered to support access to reliable texts if that standard is met. No model has reached that level.
The concern extends beyond technology to how people engage with truth. Many users, especially younger ones, turn to AI before turning to pastors or the Bible itself. Without a foundation in Scripture, fabricated verses can pass unnoticed and be accepted as authentic.
Speed and convenience do not outweigh fidelity to the text. Until accuracy is assured, Scripture remains something no machine can be trusted to handle on its own.
James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a journalism background from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and at the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact [email protected].
