The birth of AI Jesus: Can it really become Jesus?

Source: Quantum

According to ReadWrite, a church in Switzerland recently introduced an artificial intelligence Jesus to provide spiritual guidance, which reflects the teachings of the New Testament and interacts with visitors in a confessional environment. What impact will it bring? Let's continue to look down.

A church in Switzerland has introduced an artificial intelligence Jesus to listen to confessions and provide spiritual guidance.

The historic St. Peter's Church in Lucerne worked with a local university to develop and implement this artificial intelligence, which was trained using the New Testament to reflect the teachings and personality of Jesus.

After entering the confessional, visitors will see a digital image of Jesus displayed on the screen, with a distinctly "Swiss style" appearance. They can talk, ask questions or share concerns. However, some people are concerned about the theological interpretation of the scriptures by this incarnation, because the software relies on religious content obtained from the Internet.

The innovative installation, called “Deus in Machina,” is part of an art project created in collaboration with the Immersive Reality Research Lab at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts. The AI ​​Jesus will be on display in St. Peter’s Church for two months, giving visitors the opportunity to interact with him face-to-face via a confessional screen.

This isn’t the first time AI chatbots have been developed to facilitate human connection. In June, ReadWrite reported that Google was allegedly creating AI chatbots modeled after celebrities, similar to Meta’s avatars, designed for social interaction. Some of these chatbots were so lifelike that OpenAI issued a warning against forming overly close relationships with its chatbots.

AI Jesus was both “convincing and emotional”

"From a technical point of view, I'm very impressed with how well it works - how good the AI ​​is, how convincing and emotional it can be, and how people accept it," Dr. Aljosa Smolik, co-director of the Immersive Reality Research Lab, said after the installation was completed earlier this month. "It's sparked both positive and negative reactions, but from a technical point of view it's definitely impressive." He added: "As for the conversation with 'Jesus' at the end, maybe I should have asked more personal questions. I guess I tend to have more of a theological tone - talking about life after death and things like that - so maybe it was a little too theological and not that personal." Marco Schmid, theologian at St. Peter's Church, also told German news outlet DW: "What we're doing here is an experiment. We want to initiate discussion by giving people very concrete experiences with AI so that we have a basis for talking about it and discussing it with each other. ”

How to Solve Complex Problems

A blog post from the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts shows how AI Jesus can solve the most complex theological problems.

The interviewer asked: "From a Christian perspective, how can I support an elderly, disabled person who decides to assist in suicide?"

To this, AI Jesus replied: "Perhaps you can ask your loved ones the following questions: What does your faith mean to you in this difficult time? Is there anything else in life that brings you peace or joy? How can I support you and give you comfort? Your task is not to judge, but to accompany with love. ”

Schmid stressed that placing this artificial intelligence Jesus in the confessional is a practical option, not a replacement for the sacrament of confession.?

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"Swiss church unveils AI Jesus for confessions and spiritual guidance" by Suswati Basu, Fact Checked by Sam Shedden, Last updated: 20 November, 2024 - ReadWrite