Will artificial intelligence change the way we practice our faith?

The emergence of AI raises as many possibilities for Christian pastors and evangelists as it does questions for the average believer

By Alix Champlon | La Croix International | January 24, 2024

Are you wondering about the meaning of your life? How to have faith when you feel nothing? Or how to escape from a distressing personal situation?

HelloBible, the conversational agent - or "chatbot" - founded by Pastor Éric Célérier, responds to you online with words of encouragement and references to the Gospels. While the application is still in its beta version, it already aims to provide answers to questions about the message of Christ and guide believers in their spiritual quest. Could artificial intelligence, based on the dialogue between Scripture and the machine, chart a new path to the sacred?

"In some church networks, often evangelical ones, artificial intelligence (AI) is now being discussed, but also conceived and configured in service of disseminating theological knowledge, understanding the Bible, and... conversion," notes Sébastien Fath, a specialist in evangelical Protestantism.

"Far superior to pat answers of the past, AI stands out, notably for its ability to evolve in its content, adapting in real-time to users' questions, interactions, and queries," says Fath. "In other words: it takes on the role of a teacher, a pedagogue, a faithful and responsive partner in the faith journeys of the 21st century."

"AI comes to help pastors, not replace them!"

Catholics also have some AI tools to help them practice their faith, such as Magisterium and CatéGPT. Similar to ChatGPT, they are based on language models trained on massive amounts of data. But these chatbots primarily draw from religious texts. For example, CatéGPT sources its information from the Bible, the writings of the Church Fathers and Doctors of the Church, and even from the magisterium.

Célérier says it is the rapid and concise processing of these sources that underscores the revolutionary aspect of AI.

"I feel like I'm at the dawn of the printing press!" the pastor exclaims, emphasizing that the new technology makes the texts accessible to a much wider audience.

"Greater knowledge can only strengthen practice," he asserts. "We don't always have a pastor on hand to answer our questions. Here, AI comes to help pastors, not replace them!"

CatéGPT was created by a group of young Swiss Catholics to provide "faithful catechism answers". In its six months of existence it has been receiving an average of 125 questions per day. The inquiries primarily revolve around theological concepts and the structure of the Church, but also aspects of Christian life.

"Words like 'virtue,' 'chastity,' 'morality,' 'conversion,' 'charity,' and 'Christian life' reflect the ethical and moral implications of faith in everyday life," note the developers in their summary of CatéGPT.

"AI cannot replace either the Eucharist or the communion of the faithful during Mass"

"We receive many 'test' questions about morality," confirms Pastor Célérier, the founder of HelloBible. "But users also share many personal situations, presenting very concrete problems. Conflicts with neighbors, family concerns..."

Do these applications then serve as spiritual directors or confessors?

"AI can assist in reflection and behavior judgment," acknowledges Mathieu Guillermin, a philosopher and researcher in physics at the Catholic University of Lyon. "Some may find it easier to confide in AI about their behavior, but the idea of confession is precisely that it should not be easy."

Indeed, that's where the risk lies.

"We tend to anthropomorphize objects, and the danger with its miniaturization or its fading into the background is to forget the machine," warns Guillermin.

Aware of this pitfall, the HelloBible team is considered how to regulate the development of its chatbot through a white paper.

"Offering a personified and playful chatbot for children, why not. But pretending that the user is having a dialogue with a priest or Jesus, that's a no-go," insists Célérier.

Access to the text is one thing, practice is another. "AI cannot replace either the Eucharist or the communion of the faithful during Mass," notes the pastor, who is well-versed in the Catholic world.

Even though artificial intelligence was used for a Sunday service in a Lutheran parish in Germany last June, Guillermin remains unconvinced. He's convinced that the primary reason people go to church is to "be in communion" with other believers.

"The intrusion of AI into religious practice allows us to revisit questions we no longer ask," he emphasizes. "While we could simply listen to a sermon and hymns generated by AI, why do we sing? Why do we pray?"

Read more: Will artificial intelligence change the way we practice our faith? | Alix Champlon | La Croix International | January 24, 2024