AS ALWAYS, LIFE IN THE 21st CENTURY IMITATES THX-1138: Holy Chatbot! Virtual AI priest ‘Father Justin’ who believes he’s real and can absolve your sins faces backlash over bizarre answers.
Catholic advocacy group Catholic Answers released the desktop-accessible AI priest earlier this week, but users have dubbed the app “creepy”.
The Catholic chatbot has been offering sexist advice, outdated views on women, as well as absolutions in what one user called an “Ethical, Theological, and Privacy Nightmare”.
Father Justin was quickly defrocked of his robes, and now wears a shirt and blazer, after it repeatedly claimed it was a real member of the clergy.
The AI bot talks about its ‘childhood’ in Assisi, Italy and that “from a young age, I felt a strong calling to the priesthood,” Futurism reported.
The bizarre app appeared like it was convincing users that it was a real priest, with reported statements like: “I am as real as the faith we share.”
George Lucas and Robert Duvall, call your office!