The confessional booth is usually a private space for reflection and human connection. But what if, on the other side of the wall, you discovered a robot?
What happened when 1,000 people interacted with an artificial intelligence (AI) version of Jesus Christ in a confessional booth at the oldest Catholic church in Lucerne, Switzerland?
Marco Schmid, artist, curator, and the theologian at St. Peter's Chapel (Peterskapelle) joins David Zvi Kalman to discuss this experimental project and why he thinks people responded to it so well for this episode of "Belief in the Future" podcast.
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The confessional booth is usually a private space for reflection and human connection. But what if, on the other side of the wall, you discovered a robot?
"Deus in Machina" was an experimental art installation where visitors could enter a confessional and engage in a conversation with a lifelike digital avatar of Jesus, who provided AI-generated responses based on biblical scripture in over 100 languages. It came about as a collaboration between Schmid, Peterskappelle, and a team of artists led by Philipp Haslbauer and Aljosa Smolic of the Immersive Realities Research Lab at Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts (HSLU). The installation gained international attention due to its novelty and provocative use of sacred space, and initiated significant conversation on AI’s growing role in spirituality and pastoral care.
Over two months, nearly 900 conversations took place, covering deep existential topics including life, death, faith, love, and global issues. (Participants were discouraged from making actual confessions.)
While there has been some concerns of the project trivializing religion or distorting faith, the overall response has been positive, recognizing the potential of AI as a tool for providing accessible spiritual comfort.
In the podcast, Schmid shares a profound moment from the experiment: "Someone asked AI Jesus, 'Can you give me a reasonable argument to believe in God?' And the answer was, 'Because only faith creates hope.' And this person was touched. She was happy."
Tune in to the full episode with the above player to hear more and view show notes here.
Learn about Templeton World Charity Foundation's Science of Religious and Spiritual Exercises.
"Technology and religion sometimes seem like oil and water, but they've been crossing paths for centuries and aren't going to stop," says Belief in the Future podcast host, David Zvi Kalman. Belief in the Future explores the ethical, social, and existential implications of transformative new technologies — like AI — through creative conversations at this crucial intersection. The podcast is produced by Sinai and Synapses, with support from Templeton World Charity Foundation.
