Religious organizations worldwide are integrating AI-based spiritual advisors into traditional worship settings. Kodaiji Temple in Kyoto deployed Mindar, an android delivering Buddhist sutra expositions via 360° visuals and audio, while Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mosque uses multilingual robots connecting pilgrims to imams. German Protestant congregations likewise employ ChatGPT-powered avatars at church services. These AI systems leverage natural language processing, machine learning translations, and generative scripture tools to facilitate personalized spiritual engagement and evolve ritual practices.
Key points
- Kodaiji Temple installs Mindar robot with 360° projections and soundscapes to deliver Heart Sutra sermons.
- German Protestant congregations deploy ChatGPT-powered avatars for live sermon generation via transformer models.
- Researchers generate AI-driven scriptures like the Xeno Sutra using GPU-accelerated transformer architectures and textual fine-tuning.
Why it matters: These AI-powered spiritual systems could redefine religious authority and democratize ritual access, challenging traditional doctrines and institutional roles.
Q&A
- What is Mindar?
- How do AI-generated scriptures work?
- Are AI prayer apps the same as spiritual directors?
- What ethical issues arise from AI spiritual advisors?