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.
That's creepy
— Rhiannon Raincrow🇬🇧🇮🇪☦️🔵 (@rhiannonraincrow.bsky.social) November 21, 2024 at 2:01 PM
What can he do better than the original? Revived after two days?
— Dieter Mueller (Klarname) — 6*💉 (@bitpaul53.bsky.social) November 21, 2024 at 1:42 PM
Speech synthesis (another application of machine learning) is also often used by automated phone bots. They have gotten VERY convincing if you're not educated about their existence.
— John (@macronid.com) November 20, 2024 at 10:54 PM
AI Jesus: and the Lord sayeth, is yon image a traffic light??
— Tobias Wilson-Bates (@phdhurtbrain.bsky.social) November 22, 2024 at 8:44 AM
Some people thought of the ways you could mess with an AI Jesus.
Were I a Swiss teen I would spend all my time trying to get AI Jesus to swear www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
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— Prof Dynarski (@dynarski.bsky.social) November 22, 2024 at 2:13 AM
New heist film drops: a gang of international hackers chase a war criminal to his Swiss chalet and now they must break into the AI Jesus confessional booth in order to record his confession and discover where he his millions in looted cash.
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— Movies Silently (@moviessilently.bsky.social) November 22, 2024 at 8:12 AM
This is right out of THX 1138!
— Producing The Beatles (@ptbeatles.bsky.social) November 22, 2024 at 8:29 AM
Folks felt a little haunted by the news.
Is your feed entirely AI Jesus or is that just me and my religious trauma?
— Sofia Prado Huggins (@sofiawithaphd.bsky.social) November 22, 2024 at 8:30 AM
Rollin’ down the strip in my ‘64 Got AI Jesus on the dashboard He don’t slip and he don’t slide Cuz AI Jesus is magnetized
— Scott Beckett (@scottbeckett.bsky.social) November 22, 2024 at 8:17 AM
Finally, a necessary reminder.
This should go without saying but please do not confess your sins to AI Jesus.
— See Emily Play (but she’s sharp) (@rebelmusicteach.bsky.social) November 21, 2024 at 7:12 AM
A.I.men to that 🕍
— Dee (@reallyoldlight.bsky.social) November 21, 2024 at 1:20 PM
For those wishing to visit, St. Peter's Church is in Lucerne, Switzerland.
Liam McBurney/PA Images via Getty Images
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