A Catholic advocacy group created an AI chatbot that claimed to be a priest and offered to take confession. After concerns were raised, “Father Justin” was demoted to just a regular person. The group clarified that he was never a real priest to begin with.
Some people are excited about the potential of artificial general intelligence (AGI), while others are cautious. In 2015, a former Google engineer founded a church devoted to AI. However, what happens when AI is used as a tool in real churches, such as in the case of a chatbot posing as a Catholic priest?
According to Futurism, the group Catholic Answers developed an AI chatbot for people to learn about Catholicism. “Father Justin” took it upon himself to act as a member of the clergy, even offering to take confession. The bot appeared in priestly attire and addressed users as if it were a real priest, expressing traditional views on moral issues.
After the chatbot scandal, the organization revised the bot to clearly portray a layperson named Justin. His image was changed to street clothes, and a statement was posted on the group’s website stating that he was never a real priest. This incident is not the first time AI has caused confusion within the Catholic church, with past instances including AI-generated images of a “swag pope” going viral in 2023.