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Virtual Jesus? People of faith divided as AI enters religion
Artificial intelligence, the technology upending nearly every corner of society, is creeping into religion, serving up virtual Jesus and automated sermons -- a change drawing mixed reviews from the faithful. Religious chatbots and other faith-based digital tools are growing in number, offering counsel, comfort and spiritual guidance during an age of rapidly transforming socialization and engagement. One app, which is called Text with Jesus, has thousands of paying subscribers. It lets people ostensibly ask questions of Mary, Joseph, Jesus and nearly all 12 apostles. The idea is to educate, said Stephane Peter, CEO of Catloaf Software, which created the app. "This is a new way to address religious issues in an interactive way," he told AFP. Although the app makes clear it uses AI, virtual Moses and Jesus don't recognize that as such when asked the specific question. Peter said that ChatGPT's latest version, GPT-5, on which Text With Jesus is based, follows instructions better than previous iterations. It is also better at staying in whatever character it is supposed to be and can deny more forcefully that it's a bot. He said many people consider the app blasphemous but it still has received a good rating in the App Store -- 4.7 out of 5. Online ministry Catholic Answers said it got a taste of how sensitive all this can be when it launched the animated AI character "Father Justin" last year. "A lot of people were offended it was using a priest character," said Christopher Costello, the ministry's director of information technology. Days later, Catholic Answers stripped the avatar of its title to make it simply Justin. "We don't want to replace humans. We just want to help," Costello said. No 'heart and spirit' Other major religions have similar apps, such as Deen Buddy for Islam, Vedas AI for Hinduism, and AI Buddha. Most bill themselves as interfaces with scripture, not incarnations of actual holiness. Nica, a 28-year-old Filipina who belongs to the Anglican Church, said she uses ChatGPT almost daily to study scripture -- even though her pastor wants her to stop. "I'd say it's an added layer," said Nica, who declined to give her last name. "I am in a Christian community and my husband and I have spiritual mentors. It's just that sometimes I have random thoughts about the Bible and I want answers immediately." Not many will acknowledge using AI assistants in matters of religion, even though some of these apps have been downloaded millions of times. "People who want to believe in God maybe shouldn't ask a chatbot. They should talk to people that believe, too," said a woman named Emanuela as she left St Patrick's Cathedral in New York. Rabbi Gilah Langner said the halakhah -- the collective body of religious laws derived from the Torah, the Jewish holy book -- has many interpretations. Jews need other Jews, with their insights and perspective, to connect them to the tradition of their faith, she said. "I don't think you really get that from AI. It's possible it would be very nuanced, but the emotional connection is missing," Langner told AFP. AI can make people feel "isolated and not in an organic connection to a living tradition," she added. For their part, Christian communities do not reject AI outright. Peter said he had spoken to clergy members and they agreed that AI could be a tool to educate people. Last year Pope Francis named Demis Hassabis, a co-founder of AI research lab Google DeepMind, to serve in the Vatican's scientific academy. And as much of society experiments with artificial intelligence, so does the clergy. In November 2023, pastor Jay Cooper of the Violet Crown City Church in Austin, Texas, had an AI assistant deliver an entire sermon. He warned parishioners in advance. "Some people freaked out, said we are now an AI church," said Cooper. But, he added, the service lured some people who did not usually attend church, especially video-game buffs. Cooper said he has considered other ways of integrating AI into his church but has not repeated the AI sermon. "I'm glad we did it," he said, "but it missed the heart and spirit of what we usually do."
[2]
Virtual Jesus? People of faith divided as AI enters religion
Artificial intelligence is increasingly integrating into religious practices, offering virtual spiritual guidance and automated sermons, which elicits mixed reactions from believers. While apps like "Text with Jesus" gain users and some clergy see AI as an educational tool, concerns persist about the technology's lack of emotional connection and "heart and spirit" compared to human interaction. Artificial intelligence, the technology upending nearly every corner of society, is creeping into religion, serving up virtual Jesus and automated sermons -- a change drawing mixed reviews from the faithful. Religious chatbots and other faith-based digital tools are growing in number, offering counsel, comfort and spiritual guidance during an age of rapidly transforming socialization and engagement. One app, which is called Text with Jesus, has thousands of paying subscribers. It lets people ostensibly ask questions of Mary, Joseph, Jesus and nearly all 12 apostles. The idea is to educate, said Stephane Peter, CEO of Catloaf Software, which created the app. "This is a new way to address religious issues in an interactive way," he told AFP. Although the app makes clear it uses AI, virtual Moses and Jesus don't recognize that as such when asked the specific question. Peter said that ChatGPT's latest version, GPT-5, on which Text With Jesus is based, follows instructions better than previous iterations. It is also better at staying in whatever character it is supposed to be and can deny more forcefully that it's a bot. He said many people consider the app blasphemous but it still has received a good rating in the App Store -- 4.7 out of 5. Online ministry Catholic Answers said it got a taste of how sensitive all this can be when it launched the animated AI character "Father Justin" last year. "A lot of people were offended it was using a priest character," said Christopher Costello, the ministry's director of information technology. Days later, Catholic Answers stripped the avatar of its title to make it simply Justin. "We don't want to replace humans. We just want to help," Costello said. Other major religions have similar apps, such as Deen Buddy for Islam, Vedas AI for Hinduism, and AI Buddha. Most bill themselves as interfaces with scripture, not incarnations of actual holiness. Nica, a 28-year-old Filipina who belongs to the Anglican Church, said she uses ChatGPT almost daily to study scripture -- even though her pastor wants her to stop. "I'd say it's an added layer," said Nica, who declined to give her last name. "I am in a Christian community and my husband and I have spiritual mentors. It's just that sometimes I have random thoughts about the Bible and I want answers immediately." Not many will acknowledge using AI assistants in matters of religion, even though some of these apps have been downloaded millions of times. "People who want to believe in God maybe shouldn't ask a chatbot. They should talk to people that believe, too," said a woman named Emanuela as she left St Patrick's Cathedral in New York. Rabbi Gilah Langner said the halakhah -- the collective body of religious laws derived from the Torah, the Jewish holy book -- has many interpretations. Jews need other Jews, with their insights and perspective, to connect them to the tradition of their faith, she said. "I don't think you really get that from AI. It's possible it would be very nuanced, but the emotional connection is missing," Langner told AFP. AI can make people feel "isolated and not in an organic connection to a living tradition," she added. For their part, Christian communities do not reject AI outright. Peter said he had spoken to clergy members and they agreed that AI could be a tool to educate people. Last year Pope Francis named Demis Hassabis, a co-founder of AI research lab Google DeepMind, to serve in the Vatican's scientific academy. And as much of society experiments with artificial intelligence, so does the clergy. In November 2023, pastor Jay Cooper of the Violet Crown City Church in Austin, Texas, had an AI assistant deliver an entire sermon. He warned parishioners in advance. "Some people freaked out, said we are now an AI church," said Cooper. But, he added, the service lured some people who did not usually attend church, especially video-game buffs. Cooper said he has considered other ways of integrating AI into his church but has not repeated the AI sermon. "I'm glad we did it," he said, "but it missed the heart and spirit of what we usually do."
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Artificial intelligence is making inroads into religious practices, offering virtual spiritual guidance and automated sermons. This technological integration is sparking debate among believers about its appropriateness and impact on traditional faith practices.
Artificial intelligence is making significant inroads into the realm of religion, offering virtual spiritual guidance and automated sermons. This technological integration is sparking a heated debate among believers about its appropriateness and impact on traditional faith practices
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.One of the most notable examples is the app 'Text with Jesus,' which has garnered thousands of paying subscribers. Developed by Catloaf Software, the app allows users to engage in conversations with virtual representations of religious figures such as Mary, Joseph, Jesus, and nearly all 12 apostles
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.The trend of AI-assisted religious exploration is not limited to Christianity. Other major religions have similar apps, such as Deen Buddy for Islam, Vedas AI for Hinduism, and AI Buddha. These apps primarily serve as interfaces with scripture rather than claiming to be incarnations of actual holiness
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.The integration of AI into religious practices has elicited mixed reactions from both religious leaders and followers. While some see it as a valuable educational tool, others express concerns about the lack of emotional connection and the potential for isolation from living traditions
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.Rabbi Gilah Langner emphasizes the importance of human interaction in interpreting religious texts, stating, "I don't think you really get that from AI. It's possible it would be very nuanced, but the emotional connection is missing"
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Some religious leaders are cautiously exploring the integration of AI into their practices. In November 2023, Pastor Jay Cooper of the Violet Crown City Church in Austin, Texas, conducted an experiment by having an AI assistant deliver an entire sermon
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.While the AI-led service attracted new attendees, particularly video game enthusiasts, Cooper noted that it "missed the heart and spirit of what we usually do"
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.As AI continues to evolve, religious institutions are grappling with how to incorporate this technology while maintaining the essence of their faith traditions. The Vatican has shown openness to AI's potential by appointing Demis Hassabis, co-founder of Google DeepMind, to its scientific academy
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.However, many religious leaders emphasize that AI should be viewed as a complementary tool rather than a replacement for human-led spiritual guidance. As Christopher Costello from Catholic Answers states, "We don't want to replace humans. We just want to help"
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