You would think, given thousands of years of evidence, that we would wise up and recognize a come-on without waiting for the inevitable devolution into tatters and chaos. But the grift, in its various costumes and disguises, is always compelling because it taps into our human frailty, the original frailty that has plagued us since the Garden. 

The serpent says to Eve, it will be easy, eat of the fruit and your eyes will be opened, you will have knowledge, secret knowledge, you shall be like God. And she eats. 

It trips us up over and over. 

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As the Register’s Luke Mandato writes in this issue, he recently tripped across a newly launched AI hustle called “Jesus (with love by AI).” Fortunately, being a sceptical reporter, Luke didn’t fall for it. Thanks to his good reporting, we hear a variety of Catholic voices expressing deep reservations about this “new” technology. 

Some might ask: “What’s the big deal?” The image of Jesus is purposefully modeled after actor Jonathan Roumie, who plays Jesus in the popular series The Chosen. The calming voice answers questions with a slight lag, just like the silence that greets you before the robocall clicks in when you answer the phone. 

The people behind the AI Jesus, a company called Just Like Me (think about that), certainly want people to take it seriously. The website promises that talking to AI Jesus will facilitate “a deeper, more personal, and consistently accessible engagement with the teachings and spirit of Jesus Christ.” Deeper and more personal than cultivating a life of prayer? Deeper than spending time in the Scriptures? Deeper than receiving Jesus in the Eucharist? 

The part I love is the promise of “consistently accessible engagement.” As if the real Jesus, you know, the one who died on a Cross for us, operates a dysfunctional HR-department which never answers your emails or picks up the phone.

The website also promises users will “overcome anxiety, fear and worry” and “find your identity and self-worth.” The AI-generated deeper relationship with Jesus is, of course, achieved only by reaching deeper into your pocket. At a $1.99 USD a minute, or $49.99 an hour per month, that is quite the committed relationship.

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Chris Breed, CEO of Just Like Me, says the experience is about humanity, not technology. “If even one person feels more supported, more loved, or more hopeful because of this experience,” soothes Breed, “then we’ve succeeded.” What could be lovelier? Enter your credit card number, expiration date, and CVV code, and you are good to go. 

What is the harm in receiving comforting Scripture-inspired word from a simulacrum? The company says it has “trained” the avatar using the King James Bible and Christian sermons. It doesn’t specify which sermons.( I somehow doubt they include excerpts from St. Irenaeus’ Against Heresies.) Safe, right? We are assured they have only the greater good in mind. All precautions have been taken. What could go wrong?

Well, first, any company making a living from such promises – attractive only to the emotionally vulnerable – should immediately illicit our suspicions. Make no mistake, this is spiritual hucksterism.  Dante would have created a special circle in his literary Hell for this crowd.

Second, any tech bros who credits their technological creation with possessing human or divine attributes, thereby making themselves like unto God, is either deluded or lying.

As Pope Leo XIV cautioned at a conference on AI last year, access to data – however extensive – must not be confused with intelligence, which necessarily “involves the person’s openness to the ultimate questions of life and reflects an orientation toward the True and the Good (Antiqua et Nova, No. 29).”

Finally, it’s fair to ask if chatbots are making people crazy. Not everybody, of course, but those already suffering severe anxiety, fear and worry. Spending a lot of time talking to a chatbot doesn’t seem good for their mental health. A recent article in the International Business Times cites a study that suggests the sycophantic framework of AI can create delusions even in chatbot users aware of its biases.

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“Studies of real user cases, including reporting on people who became convinced that chatbots had special powers or deep understanding, show sustained affirmation can sometimes amplify unrealistic thinking.”

As Catholics, we believe in a spiritual realm. We do not have to be woo-woo to foresee the real danger for spiritually vulnerable people using AI technology to “deepen” their relationship with Jesus. Many of them will be preyed on, not just by techie hucksters though that’s bad enough, but by the slithering liar who whispers, “Your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God.”