This chapel generates debate 🤔

In a chapel of Lucena, in Switzerland, a bold project combines spirituality and technology. A digital version of Jesus Christ, animated by artificial intelligence, dialogues with visitors. This experience, called “Deus in Machina”, seeks to explore the impact of a religious avatar in a place of worship.

This project, launched in August, aims to observe the reaction of believers in front of a virtual Jesus who can answer in real time to religious questions. The AI, capable of expressing itself in 100 languages, offers responses based on theological texts, covering from biblical passages to more personal reflections.
Within the framework of this experimentation, visitors interact with the Avatar de Jesus in a confessional. The artificial intelligence program has been designed to respect religious principles, although some users have found exchanges sometimes too superficial or repetitive.
The initiative is enrolled within a series of broader experiments that integrate immersive technologies such as augmented and virtual reality. The chapel has sought to respond to a need for spiritual interactivity by proposing a more accessible form of dialogue, although some can see it as a desecration.
Experience has attracted a broad audience, both from Switzerland and abroad. Two thirds of the participants claimed to have lived a spiritual experience, although some considered the responses of the AI ​​too generic. These divided opinions highlight the diversity of expectations and perceptions in the face of technology in a religious context.
The use of AI also raises ethical questions. The creators of the avatar have worked in testing to avoid doctrinal deviations, but the risk associated with the unpredictability of the responses persists. Experience has shown the need to regulate this type of technologies to preserve the integrity of spiritual messages.
Despite criticism, the initiative has generated a broader debate about the place of technology in faith. Marco Schmid, theologian behind the project, considers that AI can play a role in spiritual accompaniment, especially by offering an accessible dialogue for all, at any time.
The “Deus in Machina” project marks a turning point in reflection on the interaction between faith and technology. While some see in this experience an advance, others perceive it as a simple gadget. The future of this type of initiatives continues to ask many questions.
The experience was interrupted in October, but the debates continue around the integration of AI in religion. While some believe in their potential, others warn about the dangers of such evolution. The debate on the authenticity of faith in the digital age is far from ending.