AI Jesus

As daily news stories will attest, AI (artificial intelligence) can now be used to draft essays, complete exams, solve equations, and even converse with the lonely. But an AI Jesus? Beware ... it's here: Developers of the Twitch stream ask_jesus have created an interactive AI-generated version of Jesus that provides 24/7 Q&A programmed with teachings from the New Testament Gospels.

The livestream depicts Jesus as a curiously Anglo man with a mustache, beard, and eyes that gaze off into the distance as his mouth pantomimes disembodied words and his right hand waves to and fro. The non-faith-based nonprofit tech group that created the stream -- The Singularity Group -- states that its purpose is to "offer spiritual guidance" and "invite users on the journey of faith, hope, and love."

The creators claim that the AI Jesus has been "trained" using the teachings of Jesus found in the New Testament and popular theological writings, and all answers include a connection to Jesus' teachings of love and compassion. While there may be Twitch users who use the ask_jesus bot for prayer or scriptural insight, many users ask silly questions to see how the AI creation will answer. 

While the image of an AI Jesus is startling enough, what about the limitations of a generated answer that cannot replicate the nuance and timeless wisdom of our creator incarnate? Is a personal Jesus for gamers and online trolls blasphemous, or could it provide a spark of Holy Spirit for some lonely soul? 

I am reminded of Jacob's response when he woke from his dream about the angels ascending and descending in Genesis 28: "Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it," he proclaimed. The explosion of AI capabilities in recent months is pressing us into new and unnerving arenas, but know that the Lord is present and steadfast, even in the darkest corners. 

We should all remain watchful and wary of those spaces where we limit God and box-in Jesus Christ, but there is no need to despair; as 1 John 4 reminds us,"the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world." And hopefully an online space where Twitch users can ask Jesus whether they will pass their classes or achieve a new level in gaming is enough to spark a taste of eternity.

Blessings on your week,

Jennie