Ready for an AI pastor? Not too distant future in South Korea

Some Christians in South Korea are actively embracing the hottest technology of ChatGPT in their spiritual life, sparking controversy over the role of soulless technology in faith in a country where Christianity reigns as the biggest religion.

At the center of the controversy are startups developing generative artificial intelligence-backed bible study and prayer service apps, to add to those that are already used by many Christians in Korea.

Awake Corp., the developer of ChatGPT-based bible chatbot service Meadow, recently got an offer from a local church to sell its service, according to AI startup sector sources on Friday.

Meadow has garnered huge interest from Korean Christian churches after it secured 50,000 users within three days of its launch.

Many churches and Christian associations have contacted Awake to ask about using the app as a missionary tool, an official from the startup said.

Meadow generates bible verses and creates prayers when its users share their problems with the chatbot and search for solutions from it. It is popular, especially among younger-generation Protestant Christians in their 20s and 30s.  

Biblely, developed by Korean startup Voiselah, is also widely used by 120 non-Catholic partner churches.

Bibely is an audio bible platform that creates audio bibles recorded with different church pastors, using generative AI technology trained with each church pastor’s voice.  

Churches pay to produce their own audio bibles and upload them not only on Biblely but also on YouTube.

The number of people belonging to Biblely partner churches is estimated at about 1 million.

AI PASTORS IN NEAR FUTURE?

As the protestant Christian population is the biggest among religions in Korea, there is room to grow for ChatGPT-backed sermons and bible study services.

According to a poll conducted by Hankook Research in December 2022, 20% of Koreans claimed they are Christians, followed by 17% Buddhists, 11% Catholic followers and 2% in other religions. The remaining 50% said they did not subscribe to any religion.

Since the recent introduction of the sensational chatbot ChatGPT in Korea it is already actively used by some pastors in preparing their sermons.

Of 650 Protestant ministers in Korea surveyed by the Ministry Data Institute, 20% have used ChatGPT to create sermons; some 60% answered that ChatGPT was useful in coming up with ideas for sermons.

There was even an experimental AI-led church service in Germany in June, gaining attention from around the world.

However, the active use of AI in pastoral work such as writing sermons has been met with criticism.

Generative AI-powered chatbots like ChatGPT are already embroiled in controversy over the "hallucination" factor, or presenting wrong information as truth. This is one of the serious flaws of such technology, which could create and spread content that is dangerous and even ethically wrong.

“I found heretical beliefs in 10 sermons written by ChatGPT,” said Park Hyun-shin, a professor at Chongshin University, a Christian university in Seoul. “It is still too early to rely on ChatGPT” in religious services, he said.

Some people suggest that churches come up with guidelines on AI use in religion.

Others completely resist the use of AI in religion, countering that in this realm things should be spiritually inspired.

After the AI church service in Germany, many congregants attending the service said they were not spiritually fulfilled despite the AI’s "solid sermon." One congregant complained that the experience was soulless.

Meanwhile, some pastors fear they could be soon replaced by AI.

Write to Eun-Yi Ko at koko@hankyung.com

Sookyung Seo edited this article.