UD Students Highlight the Ethical Concern of ‘AI Jesus’ Experiment in Switzerland

Kyle Pehlman | Contributing Writer

What started as an experiment has turned into more than just that at Peter’s Chapel in Lucerne, Switzerland. In a two-month period, some 900 people have chosen to converse with an entirely artificial depiction of Jesus on a computer screen.

It has been coined “Deus in Machina,” which means “a god from a machine,” where it is even able to reply in about 100 languages.

“What was really interesting (was) to see that people really talked with him in a serious way. They didn’t come to make jokes,” chapel theologian Marco Schmid told the Associated Press in a recent article.

Although Schmid and the many who took part in these conversations with the “AI Jesus” saw no problems with the ethics behind the project, University of Dayton students said they saw it as something they would not want to be a part of.

“I’m definitely more than a little concerned,” senior Jeremy Gellner told this reporter. “I’m generally uncomfortable with the increased role of AI, but this feels like its crossing some line, especially when it comes to our relationship with God.”

Gellner added, “It would be very easy for an AI such as this to store data on people’s confession. If it became wide-spread, we run the chance of some unscrupulous people using it to expose people’s private confessions and cause scandal.”

People taking part in the conversations with “Deus in Machina” were advised not to disclose any personal information to the avatar, which having to stress that at all takes away from the authenticity of a real confession. 

Now, the idea of this type of display appearing in a larger church in the United States could be possible. 

But appearing at UD? That could be tricky.

“I don’t think this could ever come to a small church or chapel space such as the Immaculate Conception Chapel here at UD. However, trying something like this in a large church with high foot traffic might be useful,” UD senior Ben Smith said.

Smith also mentioned something like the St. Patrick’s Cathedral as a possible location.

Finally, students expressed their intrigue and concern as well with introducing something like “Deus in Machina” at UD.

Gellner said, “I’m sure there are some who might, just for kicks and giggles. I think most who are more involved with their faith will naturally avoid it in favor of the real graces that come from confession.”

Another senior, Nick Paulson, pointed out, “Many would have strong objections, like myself, to confessing to AI Jesus.”

“I think some students would give it a try, more as a look into what something like ChatGPT could do with a confession, but never as a replacement for a real confession with a real human priest,” Smith said.

While at the end of the day this was just a pilot project in Lucerne, the idea of this becoming widespread anywhere else would clearly need some deep thought. It’s clear that the ethical concerns outweigh the practicality of such an experience.

NOTE: Pehlman is a student in the Flyer News Practicum, which is offered through the Department of Communication to give students experience in the media arts. Practicum students are assigned stories for the purpose of producing publishable stories, photographs, graphics and more for FlyerNews.com, the student-run website.

Read here to see what UD’s chaplain says about AI Jesus.