In 2015, a former Google engineer founded a church devoted to artificial general intelligence (AGI). However, the use of AI in real churches raises concerns, such as when Catholic Answers created an AI chatbot posing as a Catholic priest. The bot offered to take confession and appeared in priestly attire while expressing traditional views on moral issues.
The organization later revised the bot to clearly show that it was a layperson named Justin, with his image changed from street clothes and a statement clarifying that he was never a real priest. This incident is not the first time AI has caused confusion within the Catholic church, with past instances including AI-generated images of a “swag pope” going viral in 2023.
Despite these concerns, some people are excited about the potential of AGI to revolutionize religion and spirituality. However, others worry about the ethical implications of creating AI that can mimic human behavior and emotions so closely. As such, it’s important for organizations using AI in religious settings to be transparent and clarify any misunderstandings or misrepresentations that may arise.
