For example, Peter Kirchschläger, a professor of theology and ethics at the University of Lucerne, said, “We should be careful when it comes to faith, pastoral care, when finding meaning in religion.”
“That’s an area where we humans are actually vastly superior to machines so we should do these things themselves,” he added.
RELATED: How Pastors Who Feel ‘Overwhelmed’ by AI Can Engage With It Well
Likewise, some who interacted with the AI Jesus came away less than impressed, calling its responses “trite” and “repetitive.”
Although Schmid said that he would not want the installation to remain at Peter’s Chapel permanently, he nevertheless expressed that the experiment had sparked curiosity about how to spiritually connect with the real Jesus.
RELATED: ERLC Issues Urgent Call to Biden Regarding Religious Liberty and Artificial Intelligence
“I think there is a thirst to talk with Jesus,” he said. “People want to have an answer. They want words and to listen to what he’s saying. I think that’s one element of it. Then of course there’s the curiosity of it. They want to see what this is.”
