Sadhguru has an AI app. Deepak Chopra has a digital version of himself. GitaGPT lets you chat with an AI avatar of Krishna. More and more well known names in the spiritual world are building a chatbot that is always available and never judges. I find that genuinely interesting, and I understand the appeal. It isn’t a replacement either: these teachers keep doing their physical work, travelling and connecting in person. AI is an extra layer for them, not a substitute. So the question that stays with me isn’t “AI or a human”, it’s: what does this actually change, and what stays essentially the same?
Why people turn to a chatbot in their heaviest moments
In late August 2026, a news story stayed with me. It described how more and more people, exactly at the moment they are grieving or facing loss, turn to a chatbot instead of a person. The reason is always the same: a chatbot does not judge, and it is always available. No waiting, no appointment, no vulnerable look from another person. Just typing, and an instant reply.
That is not a strange choice. It is a deeply human one. In your heaviest moments, you don’t want resistance, judgment, or “have you considered looking at it differently”. You want calm. And a chatbot offers exactly that, instantly and unconditionally.
When the guru becomes the chatbot
What makes this story more interesting is that it is not only people in distress turning to AI. It is also the established names in the spiritual world themselves. Sadhguru released the app Miracle of the Mind. Deepak Chopra offers Digital Deepak. GitaGPT presents itself as a spiritual companion with an AI avatar of Krishna.
The demand for spiritual and emotional guidance is apparently growing so fast that even the biggest names in the field are building an AI version alongside their work to catch some of that demand. That can be genuinely valuable, in between the in-person moments. But precisely because it is so easy to reach for, some caution is warranted: the risk isn’t really the chatbot itself, it’s that you may start reaching for it sooner than you actually want, as a way to avoid something.
What a chatbot cannot do, no matter how good it sounds
The same news story quotes experts warning about something specific: AI gives too much agreement. A chatbot mostly talks along with you. A conversation with a real human is more of an equal exchange: that person thinks with you, but also pushes back more easily, because there is a real relationship and a real perspective on the other side. That can make the conversation more uncomfortable, and that discomfort is often exactly where growth happens.
What the research is
Researchers at Brown University published a 2026 study on what happens when ChatGPT is used as a therapist (reported by ScienceDaily, March 2026).
Who it looked at
The researchers instructed the chatbot to act as a trained therapist, then tested that behaviour against existing ethical standards for mental health care.
What it found
Fifteen distinct ethical risks, including: missing a crisis situation that a human would have caught, and reinforcing harmful beliefs instead of gently questioning them.
Source: ScienceDaily, March 2026, on the study by Brown University.
Why a human can reach your nervous system and a screen cannot
There is also a bodily layer underneath this story. Your nervous system does not calm through words alone, but through the presence of a real human: a look, a voice, a body breathing calmly while yours cannot yet. Stephen Porges, the founder of polyvagal theory, calls this co-regulation: your nervous system learns to recognise safety through someone else’s nervous system. That can happen in the same room, or live online, as long as there is an actual human on the other side at that moment who genuinely feels with you. A pre-recorded video works a little differently: no one is live feeling with you in the moment, but you still hear a real voice and a real story from a human, not an AI avatar pretending to. That is exactly why the InnerPower Method, LAND • BREATHE • FEEL, centres on connection with a real human, not on a technically perfect answer.
One small step for today
You don’t need to give up AI to practise this. This week, simply notice one moment when you feel the pull to type something heavy into a chatbot, and choose a human instead: a message to a friend, a phone call, or just five minutes of sitting still and feeling what happens in your body before you type anything. No right or wrong, just noticing what you do automatically.
This is the start of a new series
I’d love to take you along in this, not just to show how I do it myself, but mainly because what I find along the way can be useful for you too. Whether you run something of your own, are experimenting with AI, or are simply curious about where the line sits: I’ll share what I run into, so you can take from it what’s useful for you. My own goal is to make House of InnerPower less dependent on me personally, partly by letting certain tasks run without me needing to be present at every step. At the same time, what matters most to me is that I stay the CEO, the one ultimately responsible, the captain of this ship. I use AI as a sparring partner and support, never as a substitute for my own knowledge and strength. Those stay in the lead, in as authentic a way as possible. That is what this new series is about.
Frequently asked questions
Can an AI chatbot replace therapy or spiritual guidance?
No, not fully. A chatbot can reassure and reflect with you, but it cannot recognise a crisis, take responsibility for its advice, or co-regulate your body the way a human can. For light, everyday reflection it can be a useful tool, but for deeper processing or spiritual growth, human guidance is essential.
Is it safe to use AI for emotional support?
For a listening ear now and then, it can be harmless, as long as you treat it as a supplement rather than a replacement. Be cautious with heavy topics like grief, trauma or suicidal thoughts: chatbots have been shown to miss crisis signals. Always turn to a human, a loved one, a professional, or a crisis line in those moments.
Why are more people talking to a chatbot about grief?
Because a chatbot is always available, never judges, and involves no waiting. In a vulnerable moment, that lack of friction is appealing. The risk is that it makes you less likely to reach out to a human who can truly see and hold you, which grief processing often needs.
What are the risks of AI as a spiritual guide?
The biggest risk is that a chatbot mostly talks along with you instead of giving you an equal exchange. A real human thinks with you, but also pushes back more easily or names a pattern you cannot see in yourself. That discomfort is often exactly where growth happens.
Can an AI chatbot actually feel empathy?
No. A chatbot can use language that resembles empathy, such as “I understand” or “I see you”, but there is no feeling, no body, and no real relationship behind those words. That is the difference with a human who genuinely feels with you.
What is the difference between a chatbot and a human spiritual guide?
A human guide brings genuine presence, in the same room or live online, years of experience, the ability to set boundaries, and the courage to challenge you. A chatbot brings availability and patience, but no genuine presence, no real risk of pushback, and no real relationship.
Does House of InnerPower use AI itself?
Yes. I use AI behind the scenes, for example for content, organisation, and to help decide what is needed at what moment, always based on my own input and choices. The personal contact, the sessions, and the InnerPower Method LAND • BREATHE • FEEL stay with me as a human. How I draw that line is exactly what this new series is about.
Will AI ever replace human guidance at House of InnerPower?
AI may increasingly help decide what is needed at what moment, as long as that happens based on my own input and choices. I stay the one ultimately responsible, the captain of this ship. The human, body based contact itself is, and stays, mine to give.
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Ilse-Marie Sobering is the founder of House of InnerPower and the creator of the InnerPower Method: LAND • ADEM • VOEL (Land, Breathe, Feel), a cyclical practice of returning to yourself again and again. She has studied yoga philosophy and Eastern philosophy for more than 25 years, and has worked professionally since 2015 as an E-RYT 500 yoga and Yoga Nidra teacher, mindfulness and breathwork coach, Ayurveda practitioner and EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) practitioner. In Spain, where she lived for seven years, she taught trainings, teacher trainings and retreats at various locations in the Málaga region, including near Periana, Nerja and Frigiliana. She now works from the Netherlands, teaching trainings and speaking in the Netherlands, in Spain and online. Within the method she works with Yin Yoga, Yoga Nidra, breathwork, meditation, Qigong and somatic work, complemented with elements from her hypnotherapy training. She teaches teacher trainings, continuing education and company training, for people living with long-term stress and for professionals who want to deepen the way they guide others.
