AI Jesus comes to Switzerland

AI INNOVATION

Forgive me Father for I have sinned?

St. Peter’s Chapel in Lucerne, Switzerland, has taken an… innovative step by introducing an AI-powered Jesus.

The installation, called Deus in Machine, lets visitors interact with a virtual Jesus in 100 languages, offering spiritual conversations through an AI avatar.

Launched in August, the project was created in partnership with a local university research lab exploring immersive technology.

After experimenting with virtual and augmented reality, the church decided to use AI to bring a Jesus avatar to life.

The avatar was set up in the church's confessional booth, where visitors could ask theological questions and receive AI-generated answers in real-time.

The church clarified that this was not a replacement for confession. It really had to clarify that.

Over 1,000 visitors engaged with the avatar, with responses ranging from positive to critical.

The key takeaways:

• Two-thirds of participants described the encounter as spiritual, feeling inspired and surprised.

• Some found the responses clichéd or inconsistent, likening them to calendar sayings.

• Church leaders raised questions about using the confessional and the risks of AI giving inappropriate advice.

A holy tech

To reduce risks, the church tested the AI with 30 people before its launch and monitored its performance closely.

Despite these precautions, the uncertainty of AI behaviour led the church to limit the project’s duration.

The experiment revealed a strong curiosity about using AI in faith, showing how people seek new ways to connect with religion.

While unlikely to become permanent, the project highlighted AI’s potential as a multilingual spiritual tool, sparking interest in how tech might support religious engagement.

AI Jesus, things just got weird.