The meeting between artificial intelligence and spirituality takes on a new dimension with the “Deus in Machina” project, carried out in a Catholic chapel in Switzerland. An avatar of Jesus, integrated into a confessional, answered visitors’ questions on various subjects such as faith, morality and contemporary challenges. This artistic experience raises profound questions about our relationship to technology and spirituality.

A unique experience in the Saint-Pierre Chapel

For two months, visitors to Saint-Pierre Chapel had the opportunity to interact with “Jesus AI”. This project attracted nearly 900 conversationsrevealing the growing interest in AI in religious contexts. The results, published recently, show that the experience aroused strong emotions and deep reflections among the participants.

A modern confessional

Visitors were invited to enter a confessional, a symbolic space of intimacy. A traffic light system indicated when they could speak and when the AI ​​responded. Although the wait time for responses was sometimes long, it added a reflective dimension to the experience.

Various topics covered

The themes covered by the visitors were broad and deep. Among the topics discussed are:

• The nature of love
• Questions about the afterlife
• Suffering and war in the world
• Abuse within the Catholic Church
• The Church’s position on homosexuality

Participants, predominantly Christians, also included agnostics, atheists and practitioners of other religions, illustrating the diversity of opinions and beliefs.

Advanced technology at the service of spirituality

Philipp Haslbauer, technical manager of the project, used advanced technologies such as GPT-4o of OpenAI to generate “Jesus AI” responses. The avatar’s voice and image were created using an AI video generator, making the interaction more immersive. Despite some criticism, the project was designed to stimulate thinking rather than replace traditional human interactions.

Reactions and thoughts

Reactions to this initiative have been varied. Some praised the innovation, while others called it blasphemous. Marco Schmid, theologian and head of the project, clarified that the aim was not to replace sacramental confessions, but to explore the connection between the digital and the divine.

An uncertain future for “Jesus AI”

Although the experiment was a success, Schmid said he has no immediate plans to repeat the project. However, the interest generated by “Jesus AI” has opened the door to future thoughts on the use of AI in religious contexts.

Conclusion: a new era for spirituality and AI

The “Deus in Machina” project illustrates how artificial intelligence can enrich our understanding of spirituality. By asking questions about the meaning of life and our relationship with God, this experience encourages us to reflect on the future of faith…