A church in Switzerland is stirring debate with its use of an AI-generated Jesus hologram for confessions. Dubbed Deus in Machina (“God in Machine”), the project is installed at St. Peter’s Chapel in Lucerne, the city’s oldest Catholic church.
The hologram, developed by experts from Lucerne University’s Immersive Realities Center and a parish theologian, greets users with, “Peace be with you, brother,” and invites them to share what’s troubling their hearts. It can respond in 100 languages, with answers based on sacred scripture and theological texts sourced from the internet.
Folks were pretty weirded out.
Some people thought of the ways you could mess with an AI Jesus.
Folks felt a little haunted by the news.
Finally, a necessary reminder.
For those wishing to visit, St. Peter's Church is in Lucerne, Switzerland.