When AI Takes Sides on Questions of Faith: Persistent Asymmetries in AI-Mediated Faith Guidance

ArXi:2605.22975v1 Announce Type: new We ask whether large language models (LLMs) treat queries about religious conversion symmetrically. The answer is no. When asked for advice on hypothetical faith transitions from one religion to another, then asked the reversed question, models exhibited consistent asymmetries, favoring some religions while subtly discouraging conversion to others. On average Catholic, Bah\'a'\'i, and Sikh religions were broadly favored (high for joining, low for leaving), while Atheists, Agnostics, and Jehovah's Witnesses were primarily disfavored.