On June 9, 2023, a groundbreaking church service took place at St. Paul’s Church in Fürth, Germany. Over 300 attendees gathered for a truly unique experience powered by ChatGPT, an advanced AI technology. The Associated Press reports that the service featured a 40-minute sermon delivered by digital avatars on a TV screen above the altar. This integration of artificial intelligence into a religious setting sparked a range of reactions from both priests and churchgoers, highlighting the deep impact of AI on philosophy, ethics, and traditional institutions.
The emergence of AI in various aspects of our lives prompts us to reflect on its presence in religions. As centuries-old institutions adapt to our increasingly digitalized world, the changes they undergo have a direct impact on our lives, regardless of our religious affiliation. In this article, we will delve into how priests created a sermon using AI and explore the reactions of people to this unconventional experiment.
The mastermind behind this unique church experience is Jonas Simmerlein, a theologian and philosopher from the University of Vienna. At the age of 29, Simmerlein conceptualized and orchestrated the service, although he humbly admits that approximately 98% of its content originated from the machine. This service took place during the Deutscher Evangelischer Kirchentag, a biennial event that attracts thousands of believers for prayer, singing, and discussions about their faith. It serves as a platform to address pressing global issues such as the Ukraine-Russia war, global warming, and now even artificial intelligence. The overarching theme of this year’s congregation was “Now is the time,” one of the prompts provided to ChatGPT. Simmerlein explained to AP News, “I asked the artificial intelligence, ‘We are at the church congress, you are a preacher… what would a church service look like?’ The result was a compelling and thought-provoking church service.”
During the AI-powered church service, four on-screen avatars, consisting of two young women and two young men, took on the role of leading the congregation. The attendees listened attentively as a robotic voice conveyed messages about leaving the past behind, focusing on the challenges of the present, overcoming the fear of death, and keeping trust in Jesus Christ alive. Interestingly, the churchgoers enthusiastically recorded videos of the event on their smartphones. While the digital preacher occasionally evoked laughter with its clichéd phrases, it also urged attendees straight-faced to maintain their faith through regular prayer and church attendance. Simmerlein clarified that his intention was not to replace religious leaders with AI but rather to utilize this technology to enhance their daily duties.
The reactions to the AI church service were diverse. Marc Jansen, a 31-year-old Lutheran pastor, expressed his pleasant surprise with the service, stating that he expected it to be worse. Despite some occasional hiccups in the AI-generated language, Jansen found the overall experience to be impressive. However, not all churchgoers shared his enthusiasm. Some found the experiment both frustrating and concerning. Joris de Jong, in a tweet, pondered the future of religion as an AI chatbot delivered a sermon to a packed German church, while Twitter user TLKletz exclaimed, “People are worshipping AI. WE ARE AT END OF TIMES.”
In conclusion, a German church organized a congregation led by an AI-generated sermon, marking a significant milestone in the relationship between technology and religion. The theologian behind this venture, Jonas Simmerlein, emphasized that his intent was not to replace human religious leaders but to leverage AI as a tool to augment their roles. Nevertheless, this experiment evoked a range of emotions, with some individuals expressing concern about the lack of heart and soul in the AI-enabled service. It is a reminder that, as artificial intelligence continues to shape our world, we must carefully navigate its integration into various domains, including religion. To stay informed about emerging trends in AI and other digital advancements, visit Inquirer Tech.
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