Revelation or cliché? Jesus avatar appears in Lucerne church

As part of an artistic project, an artificial intelligence (AI) version of Christ is fielding questions from the faithful in St Peter’s church in Lucerne. What to you say to a Jesus avatar? I’ll start simple, with “Hello, Jesus”. He replies promptly: “Peace be with you, brother. In times of uncertainty and doubt, remember that faith can move mountains. What is troubling your heart today?” So – Jesus recognises my voice, but not my gender. Whatever. And what’s troubling my heart? I tell him about my challenge to write an article about an AI version of Jesus, and thus to tackle the question of what it means when religion and technology meet. AI Jesus encourages me; he seems to at least approve of the choice of topic. “It is remarkable that you are thinking about the role and nature of faith in our modern world,” he says. Any other tips? “At a time of technology and rapid change, the core of our faith remains unchanged,” AI Jesus continues. “Love, hope and faith – think about how ...