A church in Switzerland recently installed a Jesus Christ artificial intelligence (AI) in its confessional booth. The AI, known as a “Deus in machina,” was installed in St. Peter's Chapel, a Catholic church in Lucerne, Switzerland, as part of a social experiment.
“We wanted to see and understand how people would react to AI Jesus. What would they talk to him? Are they interested in talking to him? We is probably a pioneer in this field,” said Marko Schmidt, theologian at St. Peter's Chapel. guardian.
According to church leadersthe project began in April in collaboration with a local university lab that was researching artificial and augmented reality experiences.
After some discussion in the confession booth, the church settled on placing the AI Jesus on the other side of the barred window. The installation was created to speak 100 days of audio and was made available 24 hours a day. For two months, worshipers were encouraged to enter the booth and ask AI Jesus questions. Additionally, he was advised not to act as if it were an actual confession. Therefore, you should refrain from sharing personal information.
Although experimental data has not yet been published, Schmidt said the majority of people who interacted with the AI Jesus said it was a “spiritual experience.”
“So you could say they had a religiously positive moment with this AI Jesus,” Schmidt said. “For me, it was a surprise.”
Peter Kirchschlager, professor of theology and ethics at the University of Lucerne, said: “When we find meaning in religion, we need to be careful when it comes to faith and pastoral care.”
“It's an area where we humans are actually much better than machines, so we should be doing these things ourselves,” he added.
Additionally, some people who interacted with AI Jesus were less than impressed with the experience, calling the response “banal” and “repetitive.”
Schmidt said he hopes the installation will not remain in the church forever, but said the experiment has sparked a curiosity about connecting spiritually with the real Jesus.
“I think there is a hunger to talk to Jesus,” he said. “People want to know the answer. They want the word, they want to hear what he has to say. I think that's a factor as well. Then, of course, there's the curiosity. They want to know what this is. I want to know.”
WATCH: AI Jesus' confession in Swiss church sparks global debate | Nightly EWTN News
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