AI Jesus in Lucerne church causes worldwide sensation
By Jan de Boer
A church in Lucerne has garnered international fame after it set up a confessional booth with an AI-generated version of Jesus Christ. The wired version of the Only Begotten Son was set up as part of a project from the local university, attracting both curiosity and criticism.
He’s not the Messiah, he’s a series of 0 and 1s!
As part of a master’s thesis, students from the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts designed an AI version of Jesus Christ. With the agreement of the Catholic Church, for two months the Jesus AI was placed inside a confessional booth at St. Peter’s Chapel in the heart of the Swiss city.
Visitors to the “Deus in Machina” (God in a Machine) booth were free to ask AI Jesus any questions or raise any concerns they may have. According to the organisers, the digital messiah had over 900 different interactions during his time in the booth, with visitors asking about a myriad of different topics.
"Will I ever find true love? What happens after death? Have I done enough to get to heaven? What is the church's stance on homosexuality?" were all questions that Jesus endeavoured to answer. It seems like the Son of God had imbued himself with the Holy Spirit of Pentecost, as he was able to respond in perfect High German.
Video: Associated Press / YouTube
AI Jesus gives a new connection to parishioners, Lucerne church argues
"First and foremost, it was exciting to combine ancient spirituality with modern technology. But it also helped many people to find answers to very personal, sometimes existential questions,” Lucerne Catholic Church spokesperson Ingrid Schmid told 20 Minuten. “Conversation with AI is more accessible than with people. With artificial intelligence, you don't have to be afraid of being looked at suspiciously."
"Most were surprised or touched. But there were also some who couldn't make sense of our project," Schmid conceded, "We suspected that it would attract attention, but we did not expect such a large international media response." The project has since been reported on worldwide, with many on social media calling the idea insensitive.
In response, Schmid said that the project was simply trying to find new ways to address the fears and concerns of parishioners. “We want to be there for people and provide needs-oriented services. That's what drives us. Up until now, it was simply people who were there for other people - now we've experimented with a data-based system."
Though the test has concluded, the Catholic Church in Lucerne did not rule out a Second Coming of AI Jesus, though were unable to specify when.
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Jan studied History at the University of York and Broadcast Journalism at the University of Sheffield. Though born in York, Jan has lived most of his life in Zurich and has worked as a journalist, writer and editor since 2016.
While he has plunged head-first back into life in Switzerland since returning to the country in 2020, he still enjoys a taste of home at pub quizzes and karaoke nights.Read more