Published on August 13, 2024, 12:35 am

Image source: Fox News

In the latest stride towards blending technology and the Christian domain, an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot known as “AskCathy” has been introduced to cater to queries about The Episcopal Church. An innovation devised by Toronto United Church Council’s Innovative Ministry Center in concert with Virginia Theological Seminary’s TryTank Research Institute, AskCathy performers brilliantly at adjusting to the real needs of Christian viewership and syncs with the Christian Worldview.

Short for ‘Churchy Answers That Help You’, AskCathy offers a paradigm shift from the usual mode of accessing information about The Episcopal Church, providing optimized support round-the-clock irrespective of location. It is built on top of ChatGPT’s latest version but gains precedence over it through its preferred knowledgebase- a ‘bookcase’.

The specificity of this bookcase differentiates AskCathy; over a thousand sources expounding Episcopalian/Anglican tenets build its database alongside documents sourced primarily from the church-wide Episcopal Church website besides other trusted news from Forward Movement books. It also refers to official procedures stemming from our General Convention and cites source details allowing users to dig deeper into any issue.

The seamless compilation and retrieval ensure that clerics, lay leaders, or anyone interested can access desired relevant information swiftly, saving considerable time and effort. Information spans diverse areas like understanding complex theological concepts such as the Trinity as well as navigating practical aspects like church policies or disciplinary measures under Title IV.

An invaluable asset for laity-led congregations – termed as ‘the fastest-growing segment in mainline Protestant denomination’ by Rev. Lorenzo Lebrija, Executive Director at TryTank Research – AskCathy guides them through parameters like suitable hymns, creating targeted prayers for any occasion or deciphering church laws, meetings real News demands effectively.

This exemplary model takes it all in its stride – right from lending advice about dealing with someone affected due to a relative’s loss to suggesting relevant Book of Common Prayer verses or hymns. It adds that the presence of a person would be much sought after, indicating her sound base involving sermons as well.

Christian congregations have demonstrated mixed reactions towards AI incorporation, with only about a fifth of those polled by Barna Group seeing any positive implications for the Church. At the same time, more than half held contrary views, labeling AI as irrelevant or damaging for the Church and another quarter undecided on this issue.

However, AskCathy is widely perceived to complement human engagement rather than replace it. Emphasizing the irreplaceability of humans in spiritual directions by redirecting users seeking deeper insights to local clergy or spiritual guides reinforces its goal as an auxiliary tool aimed at enriching Episcopal faith.

Bridging technology and Christianity isn’t entirely new; in July last year, Longbeard launched Magisterium AI. Designed similarly to answer queries about Roman Catholic Church beliefs, it has seen rapid adoption, recording 180,000 users within weeks post-launch. Its founder Matthew Harvey Sanders maintained that given ChatGPT’s tendencies for making errors and lack of clarity on referenced documents necessitated intervention creating an AI system faithful to Church teachings.

In conclusion, approaches amalgamating technology like AI within reason can resultantly carve out efficient ways in managing real news information dissemination while upholding Christian values.