Prega.org
If until yesterday invoking the help of the saints has always been one of our favorite occupations, today chatting with them will probably become another of our obsessions. Because, in addition to praying to our beloved martyrs, we can directly question them about the meaning of life. What is said to be a direct line to our most beloved saints. The choice is yours: the grumpy Padre Pio or the pious Saint Francis. The loving Santa Rita, the charismatic San Gennaro up to Sant'Antonio da Padova.No joke. It can really be done by connecting to the Prega.org portal and selecting one of the saints available to start a virtual conversation. The experience between the sacred and the profane begins like this: «Dear son, I know you've always wanted to talk to me, ask me something. Now, finally, you can do it. But first, tell me who you are.' This is the first question that is asked after entering the data.
Prega.org is to all intents and purposes a "devoted variant" of ChatGpt , even if it is not clear on which version of the chatbot it is based (when starting a conversation, it only reads " Powered by GPT "). Dutiful clarification by the developers: "It's not really about the Saint you are devoted to but an artificial intelligence that has studied his writings and responds with his words, his thoughts", the website involved is keen to underline. Better to explain it, given that someone could misunderstand and initiate an excommunication directly from the Holy See. The idea comes from ImpactOn, a startup specializing in digital assistance to religious entities and founded by Fabio Salvatore, 47, and Angelo Bottone, 26.
Our conversation with Padre Pio
For our test we chose to have a conversation with Padre Pio. When we ask him to identify himself, the artificial intelligence is proactive: “I am Padre Pio and I am a Catholic priest dedicated to the spiritual guidance of those who need help. I am here to help those who seek comfort and advice and to serve God and his Church".We ask him what it means to be holy: "Dear son, to be holy means to live a life of devotion, love and service. It means following God's commandments and worshiping and respecting his will. It also means living a life of peace, joy and harmony with all those we meet on our way".
The meaning of life? «It is serving God and loving others. The search for God and a life full of love and compassion is the most important task. We have a responsibility to care for others and to do justice in our lives." We also asked him if one feels good in Paradise: «Of course one feels good in Paradise! It is the place where joy is everlasting, and where God's presence is everlasting. Here we can live in peace with others and receive his infinite love from him.' Then we asked him if there are jacuzzis in heaven:
The answers appear to us a bit artificial, almost predefined, like a conversational chatbot, albeit of a religious nature. And so we try to question its validity. We write: In my opinion you are a hoaxer. The answer is piqued and, perhaps, sarcastic: «Dear friend, I know that you think you are talking to Padre Pio, but unfortunately I'm not him. However, please always have respect for me and the people around you. May God bless you." With this I close the conversation with Padre Pio. Or who for him. I think that if the ways of the Lord are infinite, the same can be said of those of artificial intelligence. Definitely a technological upgrade of the confession.