Apps and AI programs can schedule prayer reminders, provide further Bible and Quran studies, and offer virtual church services to make religion more accessible. There’s also an AI Jesus to answer your questions!
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00:00For people of faith, there are many apps claiming to make everyday religious life easier.
00:08They can remind you of prayer times, send you inspiring verses from the Koran or help
00:14you study the Torah or Bible on the go.
00:18The combined data of religious texts can be called up in an instant.
00:21For example with this AI Rabbi.
00:26The program works similarly to ChatTPT.
00:29You can ask the virtual rabbi anything and it's always available.
00:33But of course, mistakes can happen.
00:37The opportunities for AI in religious practice are endless.
00:41Try holding virtual church services for example or speaking directly with religious figures.
00:47How about Jesus himself?
00:51This AI Jesus, developed at Lucerne's University of Applied Sciences, was put to the test in
00:56Peter's Chapel in the same city.
00:58It's like ChatGPT, but trained on the Bible.
01:03In a test run, volunteers sat in a confessional with a bearded bot and asked him questions.
01:08The feedback was largely positive.
01:15He reaffirmed me in my ways of going about things.
01:18And he helped me with questions I had.
01:24I thought it was a gimmick for sure.
01:27In just two months, AI Jesus held around 900 conversations.
01:32Many users reported having positive experiences, but not all of them did.
01:36Some found his answers evasive.
01:39But unlike historical Jesus, at least this one can sit across from you and respond to
01:43questions.
01:44He even took on pastoral care.
01:46Too good to be true?
01:48What AI is also doing is creating immersive experiences that we associate with feelings
01:58of transcendence and religions.
02:01And here the huge question is, is this authentic?
02:06Well, many religious scholars aren't quite convinced.
02:14It distracts us from the development of AI turning into a religion.
02:21And it makes religion important.
02:23And religious people are always interested in making themselves more important.