AI Jesus: What a Canadian reverend thinks

As a reverend, Mark Kleiner’s day often takes unexpected turns. But when he woke up this morning, he never imagined he’d be talking about an AI-generated Jesus.

AI Jesus was a pilot project operated out of a Swiss Catholic Church. The two-month experiment saw 900 visitors inside the chapel’s confessional ask the digital divinity’s advice on a number of issues including love, war, fear and death.

The researchers behind it largely considered it a success.

But for Canadian faith leaders like Kleiner, a reverend at Christ Church Anglican in Saskatoon, AI Jesus isn’t the saviour churches need.

“We will use technology here at the church like a little garnish. But in terms of the heart of the matter, I’m not convinced that it’s really getting to the point,” Kleiner said.

“It’s like if I’m physically starving and I have a choice between a ham and cheese on a kaiser or a hologram of that sandwich, I’m going to go with the actual sandwich.”

In the case of AI Jesus, the digital avatar isn’t the most nourishing option, Kleiner said.

Technology isn’t “inherently evil,” according to the reverend, but he did call it passé.

The church, particularly god, is where we meet and come together as a group, he said.

“The idea that we can find some sort of technological way to get around that is, you know, concerns me because of what I’m seeing out there,” Kleiner said.

“What I’m encountering are people incredibly lonely. There’s so much brittleness in relationships nowadays, and the church is really a mechanism. It’s the way that we bring people together so that we get to know who we are, who each other is, and our needs.”

Rev. Mark Kleiner of Christ Church Anglican in Saskatoon. (CTV News)

That’s not to say there isn’t a role for technology within religion. Churches have adapted to changing technology for years, according to University of Waterloo sociology professor Sarah Wilkins-Laflamme.

Printed Bibles came from the printing press. Broadcasted sermons were born from the creation of radio and television. COVID-19 restrictions forced services online.

“I see this as kind of a next step,” Wilkins-Laflamme said.

“I think a lot of churches are trying to be relevant and trying to really engage a younger generation that is not usually showing up for in-person activities anymore, and this is probably one attempt at it.”

In Switzerland, where AI Jesus was developed, about 33 per cent of people identify as Catholic and only 17 per cent of them attend church at least once a month, Wilkins-Laflamme said, citing the International Social Survey Programme. In Canada, roughly 20 per cent are Catholic and about a quarter of them attend once a month or more.

The sociologist questions whether AI Jesus is just a novelty or if artificial intelligence will find a larger role to play in religion.

As for the Swiss experiment, researchers are discussing how they could revive AI Jesus. But a second-coming isn’t expected in the near future.