Hail Mary! AI in the confessional

In Brief

We’ve seen AI chatbots in religious apps before, but a chapel in Lucerne, Switzerland has gone further — putting artificial intelligence inside a confessional. DW’s report shows the “AI Jesus” in action dispensing machine-generated spiritual advice via an avatar visible inside the wooden enclosure. Parishioners sitting on the other side interact with the AI by pressing a button and voicing their question or concern.

The tech, developed at the local university, is described by the chapel’s theologian as an experiment intended to spark discussion. He points out one advantage: AI can be available 24/7, unlike human pastors.

“I was surprised. It was so easy!” enthused one parishioner interviewed in the report. “Though it’s a machine it gave me so much advice.”

Others were less impressed: “I see it as a gimmick,” said one, after recounting the AI’s stock response to a question about ending violence.

Priests probably shouldn’t hang up their cassocks just yet, especially as the AI warns parishioners not to share any personal data, such as sins.

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