Human Psychics Add 'No AI' Clauses as $99.99 Bot Readings Upend Divination

1 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Oct 29

Human psychics are rewriting ads to include “no AI” pledges and coaching clients to verify they are dealing with real people as chatbot readings spread across apps, TikTok Live and Etsy.
Your AI Psychic sells automated readings from $9.99 to $99.99, while rivals such as MystiCall pitch AI tarot and astrology as cheaper, more available alternatives to human consultations.
Practitioners say the threat is not just lost business: AI readings can mimic empathy, encourage dependence for life decisions and may worsen mental-health risks for vulnerable users.
Privacy and transparency remain murky, with some apps disclosing little about their models or handling of sensitive conversations covering relationships, health, finances and beliefs.
Researchers say people have long used search engines and now LLMs as modern oracles, but the systems still lack the personal and cultural context human readers claim is central to divination.