Can a Chatbot Deliver a Compelling Sermon? Attendees Test a Church Service Created by ChatGPT

A chatbot has preached to a congregation at an experimental Lutheran church service in Germany. The ChatGPT chatbot, portrayed by an avatar of a bearded Black man on a large screen above the altar, led the service, which was created by ChatGPT and Jonas Simmerlein, a theologian and philosopher from the University of Vienna. The chatbot’s sermon focused on leaving the past behind and focusing on the present, trusting Jesus Christ, and overcoming fear of death. The service, which lasted 40 minutes and included prayers and music, drew a long queue of people eager to attend. The event was part of the German Protestant church congress, which explores current affairs and issues relating to religion. The service drew mixed reviews, with some finding the avatar’s style off-putting, and others praising the experiment as a means of making religious services more accessible and inclusive. Some religious leaders are experimenting with the use of chatbots to help with writing sermons or providing spiritual guidance. However, the limitations of artificial intelligence was also evident, as there was no interaction with the congregation, and the chatbot was unable to respond to laughter or other human reactions.