A research group from Kyoto University has developed a Protestant catechism bot, which recites passages from the Bible, as ¡°a starting point for future Christian AI creation.¡±

The project, announced last week, is the latest in a series of collaborations between professor Seiji Kumagai of the Institute for the Future of Human Society, who led the project, and Toshikazu Furuya, CEO of Teraverse, which has previously focused on Buddhist artificial intelligence products and tools.

Initially, its use will be limited to ¡°believers under clergy guidance or by the general public within church settings,¡± said Kumagai, but ¡°subsequently, discussions with clergy will explore how to expand the reach to Christian believers and further to non-Christian believers,¡± he said.

Around 67% of the population in Japan follow Shinto, while Buddhists comprise 57%, Christians make up around 1%, according to a 2024 Japanese General Social Surveys report, which noted the religious fluidity people possess ¡ª with individuals following Shinto and Buddhist practices on different occasions.

¡°Because Christianity is a minority religion in Japan, opportunities to interact directly with churches or clergy are limited,¡± said Kumagai, who added that use of AI could help broaden access to Christianity in Japan, and bridge global communication between Christians in Japan and overseas.

The bot is trained on, and focused on, catechism ¡ª Christian doctrine, which are often studied until memorized for spiritual guidance and prior to events such as baptisms.

It is currently available only in Japanese, but if there is interest from overseas, other language offerings, such as English, will be supported, said Kumagai.

Kumagai acknowledged that there were risks of misunderstandings in the case that AI generated incorrect teachings.

¡°There is a risk that AI could generate incorrect teachings ¡ª i.e., a hallucination, leading to misunderstandings among users. This also carries the risk of undermining religious faith. Individuals with low Christian literacy using it alone may be unable to prevent such risks, so it is better to use it under the guidance of experts such as pastors or priests,¡± he said.

In Japan and globally, religious groups are experimenting with AI and AI-optimized offerings. The partnership between Kyoto University and Teraverse previously resulted in the Buddhabot, which was announced in 2021, and answers questions related to Buddhism and Buddhist teachings.

Elsewhere, AI bots trained on texts from Islam and Hinduism have also been rolled out. Earlier this month, Catholic bishops and priests from across Asia met to draft guidelines for the clergy¡¯s use of AI in the region.