The AI Jesus was trained on "biblical, spiritual, and theological content" and combines "historical, theological and modern ethical viewpoints." Despite this, the church warns that the AI can still make mistakes and give "incomprehensible, stupid and idiotic answers." The installation, which ended in late October, received mixed reactions from visitors, with some claiming to have had a "spiritual experience," while others dismissed it as a gimmick. The church plans to hold a dialogue on the results of the experiment.
Key takeaways:
- An experimental art installation named "Deus in Machina" at St. Peter's Church in Lucerne, Switzerland, featured an AI confessional booth where visitors could interact with an AI avatar of Jesus, programmed to speak and respond in 100 languages.
- The AI Jesus, developed by Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts' Immersive Realities Research Lab and Peterskapelle theological assistant Marco Schmid, was designed to start a dialogue about the role of AI in religion and attract lapsed Catholics and church skeptics.
- Despite being able to offer advice and answer questions, the AI Jesus was not a replacement for the sacrament of confession and was not capable of receiving personal information. The AI also warned users to use the service at their own risk.
- While some visitors claimed to have had a "spiritual experience" with the AI, others dismissed it as a gimmick. The church warned that the AI could give incomprehensible or even idiotic answers, and should not be taken too seriously.