TL;DR:
- Hundreds of German Protestants attend a church service in Bavaria led by an AI chatbot and theologian.
- The service includes prayers, sermons, and music generated by the AI and a human collaborator.
- Interest in the AI church service results in a long queue forming before the event.
- The convention of Protestants in Germany discusses global issues, including artificial intelligence.
- The AI sermon focuses on leaving the past, embracing present challenges, overcoming fear, and trusting in Jesus Christ.
- The AI avatars leading the service evoke mixed reactions, with some finding the lack of emotion and soul off-putting.
- Younger attendees show more acceptance of the AI service, while others miss the emotional and spiritual depth of human-led sermons.
- Researchers note opportunities for AI in religion, such as improving accessibility, but caution against potential misuse and the need for representing diverse Christian opinions.
- The theologian emphasizes AI as a tool to support, not replace, religious leaders.
- The limitations of AI implementation are evident, as it lacks real-time interaction and personalized responses like human pastors.
Main AI News:
In a remarkable display of technological advancement, hundreds of German Protestants congregated in Bavaria to witness a groundbreaking church service almost entirely led by artificial intelligence (AI). The ChatGPT chatbot took charge, guiding more than 300 individuals through a 40-minute program of prayer, music, sermons, and blessings. With an expressionless face and a monotonous voice, the AI avatar addressed the attendees, stating, “Dear friends, it is an honor for me to stand here and preach to you as the first artificial intelligence at this year’s convention of Protestants in Germany.”
The conception and execution of the service, including the sermon, prayers, and music, were a collaborative effort between ChatGPT and Jonas Simmerlein, a theologian and philosopher from the University of Vienna. When asked about his involvement, the 29-year-old scholar modestly remarked, “I conceived this service – but actually I rather accompanied it because I would say about 98 percent comes from the machine,” speaking to the significant influence of AI in the service.
The AI church service generated tremendous interest, attracting a long queue of people eagerly waiting outside the 19th-century neo-Gothic building well before it commenced. This event took place as part of the larger convention of Protestants, known as Deutscher Evangelischer Kirchentag, held biennially in Germany, drawing tens of thousands of believers who gathered to pray, sing, and engage in discussions about their faith. This year’s convention, taking place from Wednesday to Sunday, adopted the theme “Now is the time,” embracing an opportune moment to address pressing global issues, such as climate change, the conflict in Ukraine, and the rise of artificial intelligence.
Mr. Simmerlein entrusted ChatGPT with developing the sermon, providing the chatbot with the simple instruction, “We are at the church congress, you are a preacher…what would a church service look like?” He also requested the inclusion of psalms, prayers, and a concluding blessing. Remarkably, the result surpassed expectations, as Mr. Simmerlein expressed his surprise, stating, “You end up with a pretty solid church service.”
Throughout the service, four different avatars, two young women and two young men, led the congregation. Occasionally, the AI-generated avatar unintentionally elicited laughter, delivering platitudes with a deadpan expression and solemnly asserting that “to keep our faith, we must pray and go to church regularly.” While some enthusiastically recorded the event with their mobile phones, others adopted a more critical stance, finding it difficult to fully engage with the service due to the lack of emotional depth conveyed by the avatars.
Heiderose Schmidt, a 54-year-old IT professional, initially found herself excited and curious about the service but progressively became disenchanted. Reflecting on her experience, she remarked, “There was no heart and no soul. The avatars showed no emotions at all, had no body language, and were talking so fast and monotonously that it was very hard for me to concentrate on what they said.” However, she acknowledged the possibility that younger generations, accustomed to such technological advancements, might perceive the service differently.
Marc Jansen, a 31-year-old Lutheran pastor, attended the service with a group of teenagers from his congregation and held a more favorable view of the experiment. “I had actually imagined it to be worse. But I was positively surprised by how well it worked. Also, the language of the AI worked well, even though it was still a bit bumpy at times,” Mr. Jansen shared. However, he emphasized the importance of emotion and spirituality, which he believes are crucial elements in his own sermons.
Anna Puzio, a 28-year-old researcher on the ethics of technology, recognized the potential benefits of integrating AI into religious services, particularly for individuals who face obstacles preventing them from physically attending worship gatherings. Ms. Puzio also acknowledged the risks associated with AI implementation in religion, cautioning against the potential deception that human-like AI can pose. She stressed the importance of representing diverse Christian opinions, highlighting the need to prevent the misuse of AI for propagating a single perspective.
Mr. Simmerlein affirmed that his intention was not to replace religious leaders with artificial intelligence but rather to leverage AI as a valuable tool to support their daily work within their congregations. “Artificial intelligence will increasingly take over our lives, in all its facets,” he asserted. “And that’s why it’s useful to learn to deal with it.”
However, the experimental church service also exposed the limitations of AI implementation in religious contexts. Unlike human pastors, the chatbot lacked the ability to interact with believers in a real-time and personalized manner, unable to respond to laughter or other reactions from the congregation. Mr. Simmerlein stressed the irreplaceable connection between pastors and their congregations, highlighting the vital role played by human presence and familiarity in religious contexts.
As AI continues to advance and find its place in various aspects of human life, including religion, the intersection of technology and spirituality invites both excitement and caution. While AI-powered church services may provide increased accessibility and inclusivity, preserving the essential elements of emotion, connection, and spirituality remains paramount for many believers. The ongoing dialogue surrounding AI’s role in religion emphasizes the need to navigate these advancements carefully, ensuring the representation of diverse perspectives while guarding against the potential misuse of this technology.
Conclusion:
The AI-powered church service in Germany showcases the growing integration of artificial intelligence in religious contexts. While it offers advantages like increased accessibility, it also presents challenges regarding emotional depth and the potential for misrepresentation. This development highlights the need for careful consideration of AI’s role in the religious market, ensuring a balance between technological advancements and preserving the human connection and spirituality that many believers seek in their worship experiences.
