LEILA FADEL, HOST:
The Catholic Church in Switzerland has found an opportunity for a spirited debate about artificial intelligence.
MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
St. Peter's Chapel in Lucerne hosted an art installation earlier this year. It allowed visitors to step into a confessional and have a conversation with a digital Jesus that gave AI-generated answers.
AUTOMATED VOICE: In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart, I have overcome the world. Draw strength from faith, for even in your darkest hour, you are never alone.
FADEL: Marco Schmid is a theologian and curator of art installations at St. Peter's Chapel. He says the intent was never for AI Jesus to take confession or to replace a priest. Instead, it's to raise a question.
MARCO SCHMID: What is the role of AI, of the modern technologies, in the future of the church?
MARTIN: As part of the project, the church held lectures and panel discussions to debate that question in collaboration with a local university.
FADEL: Schmid has talked with visitors who spoke with AI Jesus. He thinks the technology could help people share personal matters that are a source of shame.
SCHMID: It could be a first step, let's say, for a person to really process an inner healing, and then of course, go on and have the courage to also talk out with a priest.
MARTIN: Schmid says the response has been mostly positive. To critics of the project who call it sacrilegious, Schmid points to the feedback from visitors who call their conversations with AI Jesus inspiring.
SCHMID: You can see that they really got something positive from it. I would even say God was really working in them, making a step in growing in faith. And if that happens, what can be then blasphemic in that?
FADEL: The experiment is now over. Schmid says there are no current plans to bring the technology to other houses of worship, but he says the chapel is in talk with art museums.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "PERSONAL JESUS")
DEPECHE MODE: (Singing) Your own personal Jesus. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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