Is ChatGPT the new tarot scam?

Throughout the workshops I’ve been leading this year, I’ve heard ChatGPT mentioned more than a few times.

But not in the way I expected.

What I expected was for people to ask about using ChatGPT to learn tarot, which I know people do.

What I didn’t expect was to hear about people who have been purchasing readings online, via email, only to receive copy and pasted messages straight from ChatGPT.

It’s the 2025 equivalent to another story a student told me earlier this year: That she went to a tarot reader who pulled out a guidebook and started reading card meanings word for word as a way to interpret the reading my student had just paid her for.

Yikes!

Now, I will say that there is nothing wrong with learning. And there is nothing wrong with looking up card meanings or cross-referencing your sources when you’re studying.

And there is nothing wrong with being honest about your experience level.

But once money starts changing hands, and once a reader has positioned themselves as a professional, the standards change.

And if a reader is putting themselves out there as a pro, clients have every right to expect that their reading is going to be based on the reader’s own work, not a copy paste job of someone else’s.

And that’s what ChatGPT is: It’s just an amalgamation of other people’s ideas about tarot. Whatever the machine has been fed is going to be the interpretation it provides.

Unlike a human being, ChatGPT isn’t using intuition. It isn’t using a skillset. And it isn’t using discernment.

Those are the magic ingredients of a good tarot reading.

I’ve said this before, but it bears repeating: Tarot card meanings are not the same as tarot card readings.

Anyone can pull a card and look up the meaning somewhere.

But a reader can pull a card and find an insight in it that speaks directly to the moment in time – and sometimes that insight isn’t found in a list of keywords. While a card meaning might be a jumping off point for a tarot reader, it’s what they do with the information after jumping off of it that makes a reading personal.

It can be disheartening to know that there are people who want to take advantage of tarot clients by taking a copy-paste approach, hoping no one notices.

And it can be disheartening to think that that’s what some people believe tarot reading amounts to: Just a repetition of the same old information.

But this industry is imperfect. And for as long as it remains unregulated, we will always have to contend with scammers and fraudsters running alongside honest readers.

And one thing I keep in mind when I hear things like this is that it makes skilled, honest readers look that much better.

Yes, I worry about people who have bad experiences in the industry who may be turned off completely. But I also hope that they see enough of us out there talking about tarot in different ways, and that they will give it another try when the time is right.

Tarot can feel frustrating to learn. There is a lot to understand, and it is a nuanced practice that takes time to become fluent in.

And in that way, I can also understand why some people hurry to position themselves as more experienced than they are.

But that’s not a reason to fake a reading.

And I don’t think anyone doing that will go on to build a legitimate tarot practice: It’s not the right foundation to work from.

Eventually, word will get out about ChatGPT copy-pasters.

Technology has long been forcing all of us to become savvier to scams, and this is just another example of how we all have to be careful of who we’re listening to online, and where were are putting our trust.

In an age where shortcuts seem abundant, the path of tarot reminds us that patience really is a virtue.

Those who take their time to learn their craft will be rewarded with good word of mouth and appreciative clients.

And that counts for a lot these days.

Until next time,

Liz

p.s. Have you checked out the free resources on my website? You'll find tarot tips, spreads, and more over there.