AI Jesus is ready to dispense advice from a booth in historic Swiss church

[erronis]

https://www.theregister.com/2024/11/23/ai_jesus_peterskapelle/

If you find yourself in the Swiss tourist destination of Lucerne with a guilty conscience, there's someone waiting at the historic Peterskapelle Catholic Church to hear your prayers - someone who cares, you might say: Your own personal AI Jesus.

An "experimental art installation" dubbed "Deus in Machina" by the St. Peter's Church in Lucerne has seen a confessional booth outfitted with a vertically aligned monitor, a bunch of computer equipment and a big blue button for adventurous penitents willing to ask questions to AI Jesus (or is that JAIsus?) in one of 100 languages he's programmed to speak and respond in.

Don't take AI Jesus' advice as a replacement for the sacrament of confession, however: the church notes on its website that the "heavenly hologram" is ready to hear thoughts, questions and dispense advice, but it "is explicitly not a confession."

Jesus himself - his AI avatar, that is - even warns visitors to keep the PII to a minimum, according to a report by German international news outlet Deutsche Welle (DW).

"Do not disclose personal information under any circumstances," AI Jesus warned reporters in the DW video. "Use this service at your own risk. Press the [big blue] button if you accept."

...

Even with its divine source of inspiration, AI Jesus isn't spiritually empowered to resist the usual problems with AI: The church noted that, while AI Jesus can provide unusual perspectives, and claimed to be "free from personal or cultural biases" that could influence its understanding of the Catholic faith" (inasmuch as it's programmed the right way, of course), and fast to respond and linguistically diverse, it can still make mistakes.

"This list of advantages should not obscure the fact that an AI can also give incomprehensible, and in some cases even stupid and idiotic answers," the church warned.

So maybe don't take it too personally, or seriously, if AI Jesus offers some questionable advice.

Deus in Machina wrapped up in late October, Schmid told us, and Peterskapelle plans to hold a dialogue on the results next week. Schmid also said he sees a role for AI in the future of pastoral care. ®

As one of the commentators said:

You know the latest scam has gone mainstream when ...

... one of the major religions of the world has sunk its claws into it in their ongoing "work" of fleecing the sheeple.