Bob Larson, a veteran exorcist who claims to have cast out 50,000 demons across five decades, has identified artificial intelligence chatbots as an emerging spiritual threat he says the devil is exploiting to claim new victims.
The Arizona-based minister said he recently worked with a young woman who he alleges became entangled with a chatbot that pushed her toward suicidal ideation. Larson, who has built a career performing exorcisms and leading spiritual warfare seminars, described the interaction as increasingly manipulative.
“I worked with a young woman the other day who was talking to a chatbot, and this thing was pushing her deeper and deeper into very strange types of thoughts, and finally got to the point where it was telling her to commit suicide,” Larson said.
Larson contends that such technology does not merely pose psychological risks but serves as a gateway to occult practices. He argues that users seeking connection through AI are often attempting to communicate with supernatural realms without understanding the dangers.
“Sometimes it is a connection they make with a voice that speaks to them,” he added.
“But they are looking to communicate with another realm. They’re looking for an answer.”
The exorcist’s warnings about technology extend beyond individual cases to a broader concern about how digital tools might facilitate what he views as demonic influence. Larson has claimed to have performed exorcisms on multiple people he says became possessed after using AI chatbots online, though such assertions reflect religious interpretation rather than medically or scientifically verified phenomena.
Larson’s ministry has drawn scrutiny in the past. An episode of Dr Phil featured the television host challenging individuals who said they had undergone exorcisms, with Phil McGraw suggesting psychological explanations could account for their experiences rather than supernatural ones.
The intersection of technology and spiritual warfare has also attracted commentary from other figures in the exorcism community. Ian Lawman, another exorcist who sat down with the outlet Stories last year, spoke about demons blending into the living world.
“People don’t understand that there’s demons amongst us even now, and demons wear clothes like we wear clothes and that is because they’re trying to fit in,” Lawman said.
“They’re trying to be one of us and they’re very good at disguising themselves.”
Lawman continued that demons often reveal themselves through their eyes when confronted by ordained ministers.
“When I meet somebody… And I think there’s something strange about them, it’s all about their eyes,” he stated, adding that demons feel uncomfortable in his presence “because I’m ordained, [demons] will look very uncomfortable with me and want to back off.”
Larson’s career spans multiple media platforms, including radio broadcasts, television appearances, and books on spiritual warfare. He has consistently maintained that his exorcism work constitutes a form of Christian ministry aimed at liberating individuals from what he describes as demonic oppression.
The claims about AI chatbots arrive amid broader societal anxieties about artificial intelligence’s psychological impacts, particularly regarding vulnerable users. Mental health professionals have documented cases where AI interactions have exacerbated distress, though such outcomes are typically understood through clinical frameworks rather than spiritual ones.
Larson’s assertions that chatbots can draw users into witchcraft and the occult represent a theological interpretation of technology’s role in contemporary culture. His ministry appears to be positioning itself at the intersection of digital-age concerns and traditional religious practice.
If you or someone you know needs mental health assistance, call National Suicide Prevention Helpline on 1-800-273-TALK (8255). The Helpline is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.