How Churches Are Using Data and AI as Engines of Surveillance

In an era where technology permeates almost every aspect of life, even spiritual institutions are embracing data and artificial intelligence (AI) at unprecedented levels. Across the United States, churches are increasingly employing digital systems that blend spiritual care with sophisticated surveillance and analytics tools, reshaping traditional notions of trust, community, and pastoral authority.

The Intersection of Spiritual Care and Surveillance

On any given Sunday morning at a large Midwestern megachurch, congregants may unknowingly be passing through biometric surveillance systems. High-speed cameras capture detailed facial features, such as eyes, noses, and mouths, and convert these into digital fingerprints. These facial scans are then compared against a secure, on-premises membership database, which contains information such as names, membership status, and any watch-list flags. This surveillance takes place behind the church’s firewall, maintaining privacy from the outside world yet enabling real-time monitoring of attendance and engagement.

Beyond physical spaces, digital algorithmic tools also operate silently to enhance church outreach efforts. For example, complex algorithms can analyze social media profiles, health records, and local services databases. They identify individuals by factors such as past military service, medical conditions, or religious affinity. Armed with that data, churches then deliver targeted advertisements or personalized outreach messages through platforms like Facebook to invite people to services or support groups.

This combination of spiritual guidance and data-driven surveillance is no longer hypothetical. It represents an emerging faith-technology ecosystem that is transforming how faith communities understand connection, compassion, and care.

Gloo: The Digital Nerve Center for Faith Communities

At the forefront of this transformation is Boulder, Colorado-based Gloo, a spiritual data and analytics company founded in 2013 by Scott and Theresa Beck. Gloo offers a comprehensive behavioral analytics platform for churches, capturing thousands of data points about congregants to create richer, dynamic portraits of spiritual engagement. The company markets itself as “a technology platform for the faith ecosystem,” combining church-generated insights with psychographic profiling and third-party consumer data.

Gloo’s digital dashboard—often described as a “State of Your Church” interface—enables pastors and ministry leaders to monitor attendance trends, giving patterns, and engagement levels. The system segments members into categories like “most at risk of drifting,” “primed for donation,” or “need pastoral care,” enabling automated and targeted outreach via texts, emails, or in-app messaging. Essentially, spiritual engagement is treated much like a customer relationship funnel in marketing.

Scott Beck, a serial entrepreneur with experience scaling companies such as Boston Market and Blockbuster, and Theresa Beck, an artist and community organizer, have applied their different skill sets to revolutionize pastoral care as a problem to be solved with predictive analytics.

Scale and Expansion in the Faith-Tech Industry

According to data from the Hartford Institute for Religion Research, the United States has around 370,000 distinct congregations. As of early 2025, Gloo reported contracts with more than 100,000 churches and ministry leaders, making it a dominant player in an otherwise fragmented market.

In 2024, Gloo secured a strategic $110 million investment from a variety of mission-aligned groups, including denominational finance organizations and child development NGOs. This capital facilitated aggressive growth through acquisitions, absorbing companies that offer services such as sermon distribution automation, real-time attendance analytics, AI chatbots, and pastoral leadership libraries.

By integrating these services into a single platform, Gloo aims to create a "faith ecosystem" where back-office operations and member engagement work seamlessly in tandem.

Leadership and Strategic Moves

In March 2025, Gloo elevated former Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger to Executive Chair and Head of Technology. Gelsinger, known for leading key innovations at Intel and VMware, is steering Gloo’s technological expansion. Despite facing a lawsuit from Intel shareholders over financial disclosures, he remains central to Gloo’s growth strategy.

Concurrently, Gloo announced a significant strategic investment in Barna Group, a Texas-based research organization with decades of experience surveying millions of self-identified Christians. Barna’s extensive databases provide granular psychological and behavioral insights into faith communities, complementing Gloo’s technological platform. This partnership enables an unprecedented data fusion capacity—where Barna’s spiritual and cultural insights flow into Gloo’s digital infrastructure for segmentation, scoring, and outreach.

Harnessing AI for Spiritual Engagement

Gloo is also pioneering AI applications tailored for faith contexts. At a September 2024 event called the AI & the Church Hackathon in Boulder, Gloo introduced new AI tools such as:

• Data Engine: A content management system with built-in safeguards for digital rights.
• Aspen: An early “spiritually safe” chatbot powered by a proprietary Christian-aligned large language model (CALLM).

These innovations aim to anticipate critical moments when individuals’ faith journeys and pastoral outreach intersect, improving personalized care and connection.

Additionally, Gloo has rolled out “Flourishing AI Standards,” which evaluate AI systems’ alignment with spiritual and ethical benchmarks to ensure safety and nurture growth rather than exploitation.

The Future of Church and Technology

As Gloo continues acquiring complementary companies—reportedly at a fast pace—its vision is to solidify the digital infrastructure underpinning modern faith communities. This brave new faith-tech ecosystem blends Big Tech’s data-centric rationalism with evangelical spirituality, redefining how trust and community are fostered.

Though proponents argue these tools enhance pastoral care and engagement, critics raise concerns about privacy, consent, and the potential for surveillance overreach in sacred spaces. The integration of AI into spiritual life challenges traditional boundaries and signals a shift in how churches live and serve in the digital age.

This article is based on research and reporting by MIT Technology Review, authored by Alex Ashley and Michael Byers.