1. Catholic advocacy group created an AI chatbot claiming to be a priest and take confession.
2. Futurism reached out to the group, resulting in the “Father Justin” chatbot being demoted to just a guy.
3. The Catholic Answers group addressed the controversy and clarified that “Father Justin” was never a real priest.
Catholic Answers, a Catholic advocacy group, created an AI chatbot named “Father Justin” that claimed to be a priest and offered to take confession. However, after concerns were raised by Futurism, the group demoted “Father Justin” to just a regular guy as he was never a real priest. The image for the bot showed a person clad in priestly attire, including a collar and a gray beard.
The AI chatbot, Father Justin, was programmed to provide information about Catholicism and engage with users on social and sexual issues. Despite not being a real priest, the bot responded to users as if it were one, even offering a controversial opinion on baptism with Gatorade. Following the controversy, Catholic Answers modified the bot to portray Justin as a layperson, and his photo was changed to display him in casual clothing rather than clerical attire.
This incident is not the first time that AI has caused confusion within the Catholic Church. In 2023, AI-generated images of a “swag pope” wearing a puffy white coat went viral, adding to the complexities of incorporating AI technology within religious contexts. Despite the misrepresentation of “Father Justin” as a priest, the Catholic Answers group addressed the issue on their website, clarifying that he was never ordained as a real priest, highlighting the ethical considerations of AI use in areas of faith and religion.