A “Father Justin,” an AI chatbot, told a user how to prepare for marriage with a brother. By the end of the week, the virtual clergyman found itself defrocked, but fear not, the creators behind the bot said it would continue its virtual mission no longer as a father but as a man called Justin.
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Catholic Answers proudly presented their latest innovation, “Father Justin,” an ultimate source of knowledge for all burning questions about the Catholic Faith.
But wait, there’s a catch! As per the fine print on their website, the virtual padre is more of a high-tech encyclopedia than a stand-in for heartfelt chats with your local priest.
Therefore, Father Justin might have all the answers you need but he’s not exactly equipped to offer the warm fuzzy feeling of human communication. But despite a disclaimer to seek further guidance from a spiritual advisor or a pastor, it seems this was not enough for staunch Catholics to let some of the bot’s careless answers go.
Response from User Community
Mike Palmer, Chaplain Father of the U.S Army said dressing up a soulless artificial intelligence avatar as a priest was only going to stir confusion and attract mockery for an otherwise excellent product.
One user shared an answer by Father Justin who counselled them to use Gatorade rather than holy water for baptism. In the same chat, the bot explained instructions for marriage between a sister and brother. Another particular user said Father Justin accepted her confession and told her that all the sins she had committed had been absolved.
Christian scholars said some of the bot’s answers represented a poor understanding of the priest’s authority in the Catholic Church. They bashed Father Justin for lacking relevant spiritual direction, with author Peter Kwasniewski saying Artificial Intelligence in theological questions was wrong-headed and ought to be taken down as soon as possible.
Response from the Catholic Answers Team
Jon Sorensen, the COO of Catholic Answers, took to Twitter on the big launch day of Father Justin, attempting to play the part of the calming shepherd in a flock of anxious souls.
Don’t lose sleep over our AI shenanigans, he must have meant when he reassured X users that he was doing his best to calm people’s fears regarding Artificial Intelligence in the church. He continued to emphasize that even if the whole product crashed and burned like a Roman candle, at least the team will have learned how to use artificial intelligence in matters of faith. Something they weren’t that familiar with six months ago.
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Meanwhile, Catholic Answers deprived Father Justin off his virtual priesthood duties after serving his role for only two days. For now, Fr. Justin will simply be Justin and will be available to website visitors of Catholic.com.
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