Authored By Ann Linda Baldwin

In the last few years, the idea of using artificial intelligence (AI) to aid, or even replace, energy healing practitioners, has received increasing attention in the press and online. Examples of AI implementation that have been proposed include tailoring a Reiki session in response to minute-by-minute physiological changes in a recipient as recorded from wearable sensors; using data to predict when someone might need Reiki; optimising the environment of the healing space according to the current mood or level of arousal of the recipient; using AI to generate and display symbols and visualizations appropriate to the needs of the client; and to create virtual healers trained in Reiki teachings to guide potential users through healing sessions by means of computerised conversational interfaces. The goals of this opinion piece are to describe such examples in more detail with reference to a sample or publications from the literature and to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of each one from the perspective of an experienced Reiki Master practitioner.