The top Christian act on iTunes this week is not Lauren Daigle, For King and Country, Brandon Lake or any other familiar name.
It is an AI system called Solomon Ray.
Ray’s debut album Faithful Soul and the single Find Your Rest reached No. 1 on the Christian albums chart and No. 1 and No. 2 on the Christian songs chart, all within three weeks of release. It is the first time an AI project in any genre has secured the top spot in both categories at the same time.
The rise has not gone unnoticed. Artists, producers and Christian influencers have begun to question what it means for an artificial system to create worship music and hold space once given only to human voices responding to lived experience.
Charting artist Forrest Frank posted a video expressing his concerns.
“At minimum, AI does not have the Holy Spirit inside of it,” he said. “So I think that’s really weird to be opening up your spirit to something that has no…” His point trailed off, but the sentiment was clear. He closed by saying he will not listen to the project, a position many of his followers supported.
Producer Brett Raio wrote, “I’m sure the song can impact somebody, but I won’t listen or support it. I’m here to create Holy Spirit filled music and support the Holy Spirit filled artists who do the same.”
Influencer Brendan Ruh added, “I don’t like AI music. There’s enough real artists out there to listen to and I like personality behind the music. It can sound cool, it’s interesting, but not as good as normal music.”
Songwriter Benji Cowart compared it to hearing that a pastor had outsourced sermon writing to an AI system, saying the result might be polished but lacks authority.
Christian influencer April Orgill took issue with the absence of lived faith in the work. “It doesn’t hit the same way knowing someone wasn’t struggling with a real problem and turning to God for help and finding peace and then sharing testimony,” she wrote. “It’s a no for me.”
Behind Solomon Ray is a small team that describes itself as moderators rather than creators. In a comment posted from Ray’s official Instagram account, the moderator argued that the project is not intended to replace Christian artists but to explore a new tool.
“I get where some of y’all are coming from, but let’s be clear – AI isn’t replacing the heart of gospel music. It’s simply a new tool God allowed us to have. The message is still the message. The impact is still real. And the souls being reached don’t stop to check the method first. Some people create with instruments, some with computers, and now some with AI. But if the fruit is good, the message uplifts, and people feel closer to God… why tear it down? Creativity has always evolved. The Gospel is the same – how we share it just keeps expanding.”
The debate goes deeper than personal taste. It touches on the ethics of authorship, the nature of worship and the value Christians place on testimony. AI systems like Solomon Ray are built from vast datasets that include countless human performances. They generate new material by predicting patterns rather than expressing lived trust, doubt or hope. Critics argue that worship emerges from relationship and response, not from computation.
Supporters counter that technology has shaped Christian music for decades. Synthesizers, digital workstations and autotune once raised concerns and are now accepted tools. They see AI as another stage in that progression. The question, they say, is whether the content draws people toward faith.
As Christian music continues to expand into new production methods, Solomon Ray’s success has forced an early reckoning. The charts reveal interest and curiosity. The response reveals unease about the place of artificial creation in a space rooted in human faith and practice.
