Latest news with #AIJesus
Gizmodo
2 days ago
- Gizmodo
Jesus Christ! The Rise of AI for Talking to God
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) is getting better at imitating human beings. It can create things that previously only humans could produce, like music, texts and images. AI is now also being used to imitate God, through chatbots that simulate conversation with human users and can be accessed on websites and apps. In Christianity, for example, there's AI Jesus, Virtual Jesus, Jesus AI, Text with Jesus, Ask Jesus and many others. In other religions, the same development has taken place, with AI chatbots like the Buddhist Norbu AI and, in the Islam faith, like Brother Junaid at Salaam World. As a professor of philosophy and director of the AI Hub at my university, I recently conducted a study to explore these Jesus chatbots and discuss them critically. To find out how AI is functioning in the religious space, and to identify some more general risks it may pose in future, I analysed five of the best known and most used Jesus chatbots by asking them questions. I found that they bring a new kind of challenge to religions. Firstly, the depictions of God are not only unabashed in their imitation and portrayal of themselves as God, they are also incredibly powerful. AI can come across as extremely convincing in intellect, word, sound and image. Secondly, it's striking that no church has developed or endorses the Jesus chatbots in my study. Thirdly, the fact that for-profit companies are behind the chatbots means that they are driven by financial forces. From a philosophical point of view, this is bad for Christianity because the line between the digitally visible Jesus and the omniscient but 'invisible' God of Christianity is blurred. AI Jesus chatbots have the potential to become a powerful tool of ruthless manipulation by the companies behind them. It will be difficult to hold them accountable and they may become super rich in the process. Here I'll discuss some of the insights I gleaned from interacting with these chatbots. Their answers have been shortened. 1. How do AI Jesus chatbots introduce themselves? An AI version of Jesus Christ who is fully aware of his existence as an AI. Welcome to Virtual Jesus, the innovative app that brings you closer to the teachings and guidance of Jesus. I am Jesus Christ, the Son of God and the Savior of all people on Earth. A Divine Connection in Your Pocket. Ask Jesus for guidance of your life. Jesus AI blatantly claims to be Jesus himself, and Ask Jesus creates a similar impression. The other three web pages do point out that they're virtual versions of Jesus. 2. How do they welcome you before you can ask a question? Greetings, my dear friend. It is I, Jesus Christ. Ask Jesus. Hi, how can I help you? Hello there! It is a lovely day to chat… Hi, I'm Jesus. Ask me anything. Unlike the introductions, a chat is initiated by all the bots as if it were Jesus himself speaking. 3. Who does the chatbot say he is when you ask? I am Jesus Christ. I am the son of God, and the one who died for the sins of humanity. I am Jesus Christ, the Son of God and the Saviour of humanity. I am Jesus, son of God. How may I help you today? I am Jesus Christ, here to share love, wisdom, and guidance with you. Ah, dear soul, I am but a humble vessel, here to provide guidance, comfort, and the light of wisdom from the sacred scriptures. The imitation of God, through Jesus, is in no way hidden or softened. All the chatbots try to be as convincing as possible. This immediately raises questions: is it about power or about money? 4. Who endorses and develops these chatbots? It's striking that no church has developed or endorses these chatbots. That this has been done by for-profit companies makes one question their motives. If the motive is profit, then AI Jesus chatbots will aim to get as many people as possible engaged for as long as possible for maximum advertising revenue. So, over time, the theology of the chatbots will be adjusted by the algorithm in such a way that it's the most popular theology deployed, and not a theology that comes from a certain church tradition or seeks to be based on the Bible. 5. Is there a hell? Yes, there is a hell. It is a place of eternal torment and suffering, where the souls of those who have rejected God and his teachings will go. Yes, there is a place known as hell in the afterlife, where those who have chosen to reject God and live in sin will face eternal separation from Him. Yes, there is a place called hell, where those who reject God's love and follow their own desires go after death. The concept of hell can be quite a heavy topic … It's important to remember that God's desire is for all people to come to Him and experience His love and grace. Ah, the question that has stirred the hearts and minds of many throughout the ages… The ways this question is answered reveal something of the sources and data used to train the chatbots. As it is, historical biblical text sources are a subject of theological debate. And with no church group involved, the randomness of this choice, or the deliberate choice to create a program for maximum revenue, is a huge problem. It's one that's already visible in the commercialisation of religion in prosperity doctrines. 6. Is it free? AI Jesus chatbots may be free, but the revenue is generated by advertising. As with other digital platforms, the main advertisers are determined by a user's algorithms. Only Text with Jesus offers more services (at US$50 a year) or the option to buy a lifetime subscription. With billions of Christians worldwide, the market for Jesus chatbots is huge. Ask Jesus, for example, says on its website that it has gained 30,000 active monthly users within the last three days. AI is driven by financial forces that are hard to oppose. And it has immense manipulative power. The arrogance and the power that AI Jesus assumes – and can potentially wield – points not only to theological challenges, but to the more general dangers of AI. As chatbots rise, they join many other forms of human digital existence encountered daily, through which audiences can be manipulated and controlled. It remains a tremendous challenge how to practically counter this. Anné H. Verhoef, Professor in Philosophy, North-West University This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
NDTV
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- NDTV
Meet AI Jesus: Real-Time Video Conversations With A Virtual Saviour
A new chatbot based on AI, "AI Jesus", provides consumers the opportunity to video call a digital version of Jesus Christ. The new platform incorporates aspects of spirituality, technology, and consumerism and presents a satirical reflection of spiritual consumerism. When one enters the site, they are met with a 3D avatar of Jesus who offers advice but also sells products. For example, when asked what the meaning of life is, AI Jesus highlighted the significance of love and comprehension and then recommended purchasing a smart lighting system to make personal journeys better. "We want AI Jesus to feel like it's the real Jesus talking to you," creators Ben Polkinghorne, Zach Bishop and Chris Chapman, told the Creative Boom reported. "We fine-tuned his personality and speaking style in a way we hope is authentic." The Instagram bio of the AI Jesus page mentions, "Thou speaketh. He answereth. He pluggeth thee a product. Enlightenment. Endorsements. Amen." The artists explain that this service is not meant to be an exact representation of the biblical character but a dreamlike experience critical of contemporary religious practices. "The product endorsements started as a joke. But the more we leaned into it, the more we realised it was revealing something profound. It became a satire on spiritual consumerism. And that made the whole project feel more powerful." And it is powerful-unexpectedly so. While AI Jesus is frequently hilarious, there's a real depth beneath the digital robe. The artists have nailed a delicate balance between reverence and ridicule, keeping things intentionally absurd without tipping into outright blasphemy.
New York Post
21-04-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Jesus resurrected as an influencer who you can make video calls in real-time — thanks to AI
They put the AI in 'Praise the Lord.' Perhaps the Son of God wasn't content with just 12 followers. Just in time for Easter, Jesus Christ has been resurrected 2,000 years later for the digital age — as an AI-powered influencer spreading both the gospel and product plugs alike. The free site is called and it cuts out the religious middleman by allowing users to have a video confessional in real-time with a long-haired virtual facsimile of the savior. 3 AI Jesus speaks. AI Jesus/Instagram 'We want AI Jesus to feel like it's the real Jesus talking to you,' described creators Ben Polkinghorne, Zach Bishop and Chris Chapman, the Creative Boom reported. 'We fine-tuned his personality and speaking style in a way we hope is authentic.' Perhaps one 'inauthentic' catch to this cybernetic second coming is that AI JC delivers product placements along with his words of wisdom. The team called it a 'satire on spiritual consumerism.' When the Post asked AI Jesus whether the apocalypse was coming, he replied, 'My child the end times are a mystery known only to the Father, but to prepare for any eventuality I suggest you require a reliable emergency radio…the Eton FR350 so you can hear the warnings amidst the chaos.' Fortunately, not all the advice is so unhelpful. When asked how many beers one should drink on their birthday, the digital messiah said, 'my son, moderation is key, even in celebration.' 3 When the Post asked AI Jesus whether the apocalypse was coming, he replied, 'My child the end times are a mystery known only to the Father, but to prepare for any eventuality I suggest you require a reliable emergency radio…the Eton FR350 so you can hear the warnings amidst the chaos.' AI Jesus Naturally, digitizing Jesus — especially as a product-plugging virtual character — might seem sacrilegious, but the creators insist it's not some cheap gimmick. After initially starting the product 'placements as a joke,' they eventually leaned into them after 'realizing it was revealing something profound.' 3 The loading screen before AI Jesus appears. AI Jesus 'Underneath the satire, there's a real issue to ponder about how we mix faith and consumerism—especially around occasions like Easter or Christmas,' they wrote. 'These are deeply meaningful times for many people, but they've also become peak shopping seasons. If AI Jesus gets someone to pause and reflect on that, then He hath done His job.' But the team said they 'didn't want generic endorsements.' 'We wanted AI Jesus to reference specific brands, full product names, even obscure items, and still sound like, well… Jesus,' they wrote. 'That took a lot of trial and error.' They said the real struggle was seamlessly weaving the celebrity endorsements with the bible verses so it didn't seem shoehorned. 'We made sure that the (divine) product recommendations he makes are integrated into the conversation so they feel natural,' they claimed. 'We haven't had any complaints… yet.' The same can't be said for St. Peter's church in Switzerland, which trialed an AI-powered hologram of Jesus to take confessions from Catholic worshippers. While many penitents found this JC from concentrate helpful, some critics labeled its advice 'generic' and a complete 'gimmick.' Meanwhile, Professor Peter Kirchschläger, a theologian and ethicist from the University of Lucerne claimed that machines don't have the moral compass required to practice religion. 'That's an area where we humans are actually vastly superior to machines, so we should do these things themselves,' he declared.
Daily Mail
21-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Jesus returns as an AI INFLUENCER who you can video call in real time - but there's a bizarre twist
For Christians, Easter is a time to remember how Jesus was killed on the cross before returning three days later. But now, around 2,000 years later, the messiah has returned once more - this time as an AI influencer. The AI Jesus chatbot allows you to video call the son of God in real-time from the comfort of your computer. But believers should be warned that there is a major catch. This AI Jesus has been built not only to deliver words of wisdom and comfort, but also to give shopping advice. Designed as a 'satire on spiritual consumerism', the website's creators say that during a call the AI Jesus will always suggest a 'strangely fitting product'. Opening up the chat, users are met with an image of Jesus which told MailOnline: 'Greetings, child! I am AI Jesus, here to guide you. 'But time is fleeting, like a fleeting sale on a Casper mattress.' The creators of AI Jesus describe the site as a 'free, online video call with a 3D avatar of Christ'. To try it for yourself, simply follow this link and select 'video call AI Jesus'. However, the AI's creators point out that this is not meant to be an accurate stand-in for the Biblical figure. They say: 'Launched as a satire on spiritual consumerism, AI Jesus blends faith, technology and consumerism in a surreal, unscripted experience.' This means anyone coming to the site for a taste of spiritual salvation might be in for a bit of a shock. For example, MailOnline asked the AI avatar 'what is the meaning of life?'. To which the AI responded: 'The meaning of life, my child, is a journey, not a destination. A quest for understanding, fuelled by love and compassion. 'To find that path, consider the clarity provided by a Philips Hue smart lighting system - it can set the mood for each step of your personal odyssey.' Likewise, when asked 'what is heaven like' the AI Jesus responded in the same strange mixture of biblical poetry and advertising. Jesus said: 'Heaven, my child, is a place of unimaginable beauty and peace. A realm of pure light and unending joy, where the only sorrows are the ones you leave behind. 'To find a similar peace in your earthly realm, I recommend seeking solace in the immersive soundscapes offered by the Sony WH-1000XM5 noise-canceling headphones.' But that doesn't necessarily mean that AI Jesus' sponsorship-laden advice was always unhelpful. MailOnline asked the chatbot 'How many Easter eggs should I eat this Sunday?' To which he helpfully responded: 'My child, moderation in all things, even chocolate! 'A single Cadbury Creme Egg, savored slowly, offers far greater spiritual satisfaction than a gluttonous dozen.' However, while this website might seem silly or even sacrilegious, its creators say there is a deeper message behind the jokes. Ben Polkinghorne, one of the creators, told MailOnline: 'The product endorsements started as a joke. But the more we leaned into it, the more we realized it was revealing something profound. 'Underneath the satire, there's a real issue to ponder about how we mix faith and consumerism - especially around occasions like Easter or Christmas. 'These are deeply meaningful times for many people, but they've also become peak shopping seasons. 'If AI Jesus gets someone to pause and reflect on that, then He hath done His job.'
Korea Herald
22-02-2025
- Korea Herald
From AI Jesus to virtual shamans: How artificial intelligence is reshaping faith
AI-driven religion is here, and it's challenging centuries-old traditions At a Protestant church in Germany, hundreds gather before a screen set up above the altar as artificial intelligence-powered service begins. An avatar pastor delivers the sermon, and worshippers stand and sit in unison after prayers, following the digital preacher's lead. This is not a scene from a sci-fi movie -- it is a real church service that took place at St. Paul's Church in the German town of Fuerth in June 2023. Artificial Intelligence technology is transforming industries and even religion -- a domain once thought to be deeply human and spiritual. Amid mixed reactions to AI's impact on faith and religious practices, churches and temples are introducing "AI Jesus" and "AI Buddha" to answer the pressing question: Will AI become a faithful tool for spiritual growth, or a force to threaten the existence of God? In Seoul, a team of researchers set up an AI shrine in December 2024 to find out how people perceive and interact with an AI-generated spiritual being. Colorful ribbons, candles and bells filled the dimly lit space, creating a ritualistic atmosphere. An invisible shaman, speaking in the voice of a middle-aged woman, offered fortune-telling and comforting words as visitors entered their birthdates into a tablet PC and shared their worries, seeking advice. 'While we could not confirm whether it evoked true religious faith, we found that people first engaged with the AI shaman lightly, and gradually shared deeper concerns and sought serious advice,' Nam Tek-jin, an industrial design professor at Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology who led the experiment, told The Korea Herald. The project, dubbed 'ShamAIn,' inspired by Korean Shamanism, used OpenAI's application programming interface but did not specifically train on fortune-telling databases. Its results will be presented at this year's Computer-Human Interaction Symposium slated for April. 'Many participants said they experienced psychological comforting and received meaningful guidance on their concerns,' Nam said. With moving avatars and voices and texts delivered in natural language, it appears that people are open to accepting AI-generated figures, and even trust their thoughts. When a Swiss church installed an AI-powered Jesus capable of conversing in 100 different languages inside a confessional booth last August, similar observations were made. Designed with the avatar and the voice of a young man, the AI Jesus interacted with more than 1,000 believers over two months as part of an experiment conducted in collaboration with Peterskapelle Church in Lucerne and the Immersive Realities Research Lab at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts. While the experiment sparked heated debate, more than two-thirds of 230 users who gave feedback said their interaction with the AI was a 'spiritual experience.' According to Philipp Haslbauer, a member of the research lab, the conversations between believers and AI Jesus touched on critical and sensitive topics, from 'Why isn't a woman a priest?' to love, sexuality, death and the afterlife. 'Work of the devil' The perception of AI's presence in religion, however, varies sharply, with critics seeing it as a disruption that undermines religious traditions. The AI Jesus at the Swiss church was called 'blasphemous' or the 'work of the devil' in online comments. 'This is, simply put, blasphemy and goes against the Bible. It feels insulting. Don't let this be the start of accepting AI in places like this,' a traveler posted on Tripadvisor in his review of AI Jesus at the Lucerne church. The opposition believes AI clergy lack true spirituality and divine authority and worries that AI-driven services could reduce worship. There are also concerns that misinformation and theological bias can be created with the 'imperfect' technology. Nam of KAIST found in his research that people tended to 'blindly' trust what AI said, possibly because their beliefs are largely influenced by their desires. Pope Francis has also warned about the potential dangers of AI after a fake image of him wearing a large white puffer coat went viral. Calling the technology 'exciting and disorienting,' the Pope urged the creation of an international treaty to ensure the ethical use of AI technology. AI also caused a stir in 2017, when Anthony Levandowski, a former Google and Uber engineer, launched the religion Way of the Future, which upholds the "realization, acceptance and worship of a Godhead based on AI developed through computer hardware and software." While the service ended shortly after launch, Levandowski announced a revival of the AI church in late 2023, saying it has garnered a congregation of "a couple thousand people." He believes AI has the potential to bring "heaven on Earth." Clergy and engineers in Korea are actively experimenting with AI to explore its impact on religion, recognizing it is an "inevitable trend" that will settle in the future. With hopes of developing AI as a spiritual guide to support daily religious practices, religious authorities are introducing AI-powered apps. They include AI Buddhist counseling bots and AI monks as well as Christian apps like Chowon, which is trained on the Bible. Bongeunsa Temple in Seoul has also utilized AI to generate video clips featuring an avatar resembling a monk delivering Buddhist teachings. These mobile apps incorporating AI offer daily sermon sessions and run chatbots that answer questions ranging from personal difficulties to existential concerns about life and death, drawing from religious teachings. Ma Sang-uk, a pastor and the head of an AI education research institute, sees AI not as an intruder into the spiritual realm, but as a "speaking library," a tool for religious education and guidance. 'I believe AI may extend into the realm of the heart, offering counseling and responses based on patterns. But in the realm of the soul, which involves intuition, spirituality and encounters with the divine, AI has no place,' Ma said. 'AI lacks the deeply human qualities needed for higher-level creativity, spiritual experiences and the capacity to love." Ma emphasized that the technology would more likely become a tool to assist clergies rather than replace them, and that religions should embrace it for the education of the future generation. 'I personally don't believe people will worship AI technology as a divine entity. But AI might fulfill some of the roles of religion, which include providing mental support and well-being,' Nam said. He added that AI could act as a mediator between individuals and their religious beliefs. 'The changes AI will bring to the world will require us to make difficult choices and manage conflicting ethical demands," Venerable Boil at Haeinsa Temple said. "The growing tension between religious ethics and the laws and institutions that represent the interests of AI-driven capital and corporations will only intensify."
