“These chatbots are only as reliable and helpful and theologically sound as the data that is being fed to them — and the questions that are asked of them,” Joseph Kimmel, an Episcopal priest with a PhD in early Christianity and comparative religion from Harvard Divinity School, told CNN.
When asked whether he is friends with Satan, AI Jesus gives a hard “no,” but follows up his characterization of Satan as a “fallen angel” with relevant scriptural references. “Well hello there. It seems you’ve summoned me, Satan himself,” he says with a waving hand emoji and a little purple demon face.
“However,” genderless AI Satan adds, “It’s important to note that different belief systems may have varying interpretations of my character.” Twitch’s AI Jesus gamely tries to keep up, quoting the Beatitudes and answering even the most deranged questions with a kind and admittedly Christ-like patience.Language-learning models like the ones used in these apps are trained on different sets of data and knowledge depending on their purpose.
“As for the source,” he continued, “AI is really good at the Bible because it’s one of the most printed books in existence. It’s ubiquitous.”