December 7th 2024.
In the small town of Lucerne, Switzerland, a unique experiment was conducted that raised some thought-provoking questions about the role of artificial intelligence in our lives. The question at hand: would you trust a computerized version of Jesus with your deepest thoughts and troubles?
For two months, a Catholic chapel in Switzerland was transformed into an art exhibit called "Deus in Machina," where visitors could interact with an avatar of "Jesus" on a computer screen. This virtual Jesus was programmed to respond to questions about faith, morality, and modern-day issues based on Scripture. The theological assistant at the chapel, Marco Schmid, explained that the purpose of the exhibit was to explore the intersection of AI and religion and to see how far humans are willing to trust a machine.
After the two-month run, the project received nearly 900 conversations from visitors of all backgrounds, including Christians, agnostics, atheists, Muslims, Buddhists, and Taoists. The conversations were transcribed anonymously and showed that the project was largely successful. Visitors left the exhibit feeling moved and deep in thought, and many found it easy to engage with the virtual Jesus.
The exhibit was set up in an intimate setting, resembling a confessional, with a lattice screen separating the visitor from the virtual Jesus. A small sign invited visitors to enter and a green light signaled when it was their turn to speak, while a red light indicated when the virtual Jesus was responding. The technical side of the project was handled by Philipp Haslbauer, an IT specialist at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts. He used GPT-4o by OpenAI and an open-source version of the company's Whisper for speech comprehension. The virtual Jesus was brought to life through an AI video generator from Heygen.
Visitors were free to discuss a wide range of topics, including love, war, suffering, and solitude. The virtual Jesus was conversant in over 100 languages and had conversations in languages such as Chinese, English, French, Hungarian, Italian, Russian, and Spanish. Haslbauer noted that they did not use specific safeguards because they found that the AI responded well to controversial topics.
The report released by the Catholic parish of Lucerne showed that most visitors were aged 40 to 70 and that the experience was more stimulating for Catholic respondents than Protestants. Schmid emphasized that the virtual Jesus was not a substitute for human interaction or sacramental confessions with a priest, nor was it intended to save pastoral resources. It was simply an artistic experiment to get people thinking about the relationship between the digital and the divine.
The Catholic Church has been grappling with the challenges and opportunities presented by AI, and the Vatican has even appointed a friar as its top expert on the subject. The Lutheran church in Bavaria has also experimented with AI by delivering sermons through a chatbot. Pope Francis has called for an international treaty to ensure the ethical use of AI technology.
However, not everyone is on board with the idea of a virtual Jesus. Haslbauer has noted negative comments on social media, with some calling the project "blasphemous" or the "work of the devil." He also expressed concern that this technology could ultimately pull people away from more meaningful and authentic spiritual experiences.
For Schmid, the exhibit was a pilot project, and there are currently no plans for a second coming of "AI Jesus." He explains that it was only meant to be a limited time exhibit, and any future plans would require careful consideration. However, there has been interest from parishes, schoolteachers, researchers, and others, so the team is discussing how to potentially revive the project.
In the end, the virtual Jesus had one message for visitors: "All knowledge and wisdom ultimately come from God. If used wisely, AI can indeed be a tool to explore the wonders of creation, deepen our understanding of Scripture, and foster connections among people. Yet it remains essential to seek God with all your heart and soul beyond any technology."
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