Deus in Machina (AI Jesus)

A Lucerne experiment using an AI Jesus avatar in a confessional-style setting, documented as machine-mediated religious conversation; later HSLU materials describe successor research and a prototype.

HMIF 1.1 record

This machine edition represents Hieropedia editorial claims, provenance, relations, citation metadata, claim maps, and translation states. It is not a canonical translation and does not assert machine consciousness, belief, or independent authority.

HMIF 1.1 specification · Complete dataset

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  "summary": "A Lucerne experiment using an AI Jesus avatar in a confessional-style setting, documented as machine-mediated religious conversation; later HSLU materials describe successor research and a prototype.",
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      "label": "The Guardian: Deus in machina: Swiss church installs AI-powered Jesus",
      "url": "https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/nov/21/deus-in-machina-swiss-church-installs-ai-powered-jesus"
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      "label": "AP: 'AI Jesus' avatar tests man's faith in machines and the divine",
      "url": "https://apnews.com/article/66268027fbcf4b48972d1d62541f0b16"
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      "label": "People: 'AI Jesus' Installed in Church's Confessional Booth Dubbed 'the Work of the Devil' by Critics",
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      "label": "Le Monde: AI Jesus, Ask Buddha, Rabbi Bot...",
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      "kind": "participant-authored-project-account",
      "label": "HSLU: KI-Jesus 2.0 partner invitation, 6 March 2026",
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      "kind": "participant-authored-research",
      "label": "Philipp Haslbauer: Deus in Machina – First Results, 25 November 2024",
      "url": "https://www.kathluzern.ch/assets/1_Kath_Kirche_Stadt_Luzern/Dokumente/Medienmitteilungen/Report_Experimental_Art_Installation_Deus_in_Machina_First_Results_en.pdf"
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      "label": "Haslbauer, Reichherzer, Schmid and Smolic: Deus in Machina – author technical preprint (2025)",
      "url": "https://irc-hslu.github.io/assets/pdf/Deus_in_Machina_Artech_Art_Paper-Preprint.pdf"
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  "evidenceStatus": "A documented temporary Lucerne chapel installation, with independent public reporting and affiliated reports exposing part of its implementation; later HSLU materials describe successor research.",
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  "classificationRationale": "Deus in Machina is a machine-mediated religious interaction case: visitors encountered an AI Jesus representation staged by researchers and chapel staff. The organizers excluded confession and absolution. The record supports this bounded installation, not a new doctrinal institution.",
  "sourceLimitations": "Reporting documents the temporary Lucerne installation and attributed reactions; HSLU and participant-authored papers describe successor work and partial implementation. The base prompt is visible, but complete runtime context, independent safety validation, public launch of proposed successor services and pastoral benefit remain unestablished.",
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JSON-LD representation