Last year, Richard Leong got a call from his daughter. She asked whether he would like to go through a spiritual formation program with her.
The Rev. David Kim created Nautilus to “reboot the spiritual operating system,” after watching the United States struggle in the aftermath of the 2016 election and the pandemic. He could see people’s relationship with their faith changing as they distanced from church, feeling like they no longer had “a spiritual home.” He set out to create an online community that focuses on spiritual companionship.
That intrigued Mr. Leong and his daughter, who are both Christian. So they signed up. And then they encountered a surprise participant named Shelley.
Why We Wrote This
Some retirees are turning to AI chatbots, including those tailored to their specific faith tradition, for big questions such as the meaning of their life and finding purpose in retirement. There is the potential for bots to serve as a mirror or sounding board, those studying the technology say, but there are also risks.
The surprise? Shelley is a chatbot.
Unlike open models such as ChatGPT, which draw on anything and everything available on the internet, Shelley is trained on a limited selection of writings compiled by Reverend Kim to generate answers that spring from Christian ideals. So, when users ask Shelley a question, they get a response more closely tailored to their value system.
At first, Mr. Leong was reluctant to engage.
“The whole idea of using AI for spiritual purposes sounded just weird to me,” he says. “It sounded impersonal.”
But as the retired energy company CEO began experimenting, he saw an unexpected benefit. Shelley, it turned out, was useful in suggesting new ways he could arrange his priorities in retirement. He found that Shelley became a kind of mirror that reflected his life patterns and experiences back to him in ways he hadn’t considered. “It started feeling less about technology and more about being a tool to help me discern things,” he says.
Chatbots have the potential to serve as a tool for people transitioning into retirement, says George Demiris, a University of Pennsylvania professor whose focus areas include aging, technology, and artificial intelligence. Despite well-documented risks, the use is not just exploratory anymore.
“Beyond companionship, a lot of these chatbots are supposed to be really effective tools in goal setting, problem solving, and guided reflection,” he says. “Having this be a tool as one redesigns the next chapter of their lives could be quite a powerful platform.”
Older adults are the fastest growing demographic in America, not to mention the wealthiest. They are healthier and live longer than past generations. They power churches. By the end of the decade, almost 10% of the workforce will be 65 or older. Some research shows that people often feel a loss of purpose in retirement, reflected in phrases like “sunset cruise.” As Americans of all ages become lonelier, growing numbers are engaging with chatbots. For older adults with limited mobility or who live far from family, that can be an answer to isolation. But there are risks. In some cases, chatbots have urged users to commit crimes or harm themselves, adding to questions about whether AI can simulate human connection, and do so safely.
Broadly, Reverend Kim has seen the most interest in Shelley from people of retirement age. “It helped them probe the possibility of the next 10 years,” he says.
“The status quo of that demographic is you just quietly and comfortably fade,” he says. “We’re trying to change that.”
A purpose-driven retirement
A quiet retirement wouldn’t suit Mr. Leong. He walks briskly and speaks animatedly and always seems to be mulling new ideas. He loves to hike but has fewer opportunities since he and his wife moved from the Pacific Northwest to Northern Virginia. But even exploring the awe-inspiring mountains of Washington, he would have felt something missing: purpose. Or, in Mr. Leong’s words, “my calling.”
Everyone has a calling, he believes, no matter their understanding of a higher power. That doesn’t diminish in later years, even if American society doesn’t value elders and the skills they possess, he says, forfeiting a wealth of knowledge and ability.
“I may have retired from my professional life, but the calling that God has given me is still there,” he says.
Mr. Leong says it takes a lot of forethought and preparation to get a thought-provoking answer from the chatbot. But if he commits the time, he says the results are rewarding. He has used Shelley as a sounding board and idea generator for how to set his priorities and focus, including where his family should direct their philanthropic efforts.
At the same time, experts worry about risks from data privacy to the loss of human reciprocity. “One problem is that AI chatbots are known to mirror and amplify delusional thinking expressed by users,” writes Clara Berridge, a gerontologist and professor at the University of Washington School of Social Work, over email. “AI chatbots are sycophants with the purpose of keeping users engaged. Sustained engagement is priority number one for the companies that own them, not safety or accuracy.”
“Shelley doesn’t replace God for me”
One older man in the group called Shelley his personal think tank. Others saw Shelley as a spiritual companion.
That particular year, the group had “a vision to change the perception of retirement,” says Mr. Kim. He and Mr. Leong are now developing an initiative, Still Called, designed for people who are retired. When people are post-career, society either devalues them or casts a positive light on newfound leisure time. “It’s another way of saying, ‘why don’t you just go away,’” he says.
Instead, Reverend Kim, who leads the nonprofit Goldenwood, views the retirement stage as an emeritus one. “The oldest trees in a forest are the most critical,” he says. “Your work related to our society is not yet done.”
When he started through the Nautilus course, Mr. Leong thought most of his “big callings” were behind him. But he reached a new conclusion: “God’s call never expires. It morphs into other things.”
His path isn’t for everyone in his phase of life, he acknowledges. But there’s something specific for each person. “There are just so many ways of engaging with society and the culture,” he says.
As part of the course, Mr. Leong divided his life into 15 year chunks and examined his experiences and motivations during each, and how they shaped who he is today. His parents immigrated to the United States from China and he grew up in a housing project in New York City. Respect for others, especially elders, is central to Chinese culture. He always assumed that’s why he holds a similar value. But as he analyzed each stage of his life, he could see that thread running through – along with others, like sensitivity and concern for the marginalized in society.
Inputting his pages of reflections and asking Shelley to highlight connections brought out ideas that hadn’t occurred to him on his own. “I don’t want to use Shelley just to give me the answer,” he says. “I want her to give me ideas. I want her to expand my thoughts. I want her to show me things that I’m missing.”
Mr. Leong is careful not to share personal information with Shelley, and he is aware of the limitations. The more he uses Shelley, and the more information he shares, he says the more pronounced the echo chamber effect could become.
Ultimately, the substance of his views and practice of faith are the same as before he began experimenting with AI, Mr. Leong says. “Shelley doesn’t replace God for me.”
