AI church service is the first of its kind

Happy Monday, everyone! What better way to start off your week than with some fresh and crispy AI news? Let’s get to it! 🍟

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BANK BOTS RECEIVE A WARNING 🚨

Warning: robots are stealing your money! … Well, maybe not. But bots in financial institutions are facing some trouble. 🚨

What happened? The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau issued a warning on the use of generative AI chatbots by banks. According to the agency, they have received “numerous” complaints from customers stating that the chatbots have been unable to offer “timely, straightforward” responses to their inquiries.

Why is this significant? In 2022, about 1/3 of people in the US interacted with a chatbot. This is expected to increase dramatically as more companies integrate AI into their operations. These chatbots need to be carefully developed less they cause more issues. As CFPB Director Rohit Chopra said, "A poorly deployed chatbot can lead to customer frustration, reduced trust, and even violations of the law.”

The CFPB stated that it is monitoring AI chatbots and encourages any customers who have complaints about banking chatbots to submit them to their website or by calling (855) 411-CFPB (2372). 📞

WILL AMAZON BE REPLACED BY AI? 🤖

You know, online shopping services are really successful nowadays. Amazon is a “Prime” example. 📦

Some background: Bill Gates made a recent prediction that Amazon could face its end if AI continues to advance at its current pace. Gates implied that AI-powered personal assistants could eventually read people's minds well enough to replace the need to use online retailers, as these personal assistants will know what we need and complete shopping tasks on our behalf, such as ordering products and arranging delivery.

Why Amazon could rise above AI threats:

• An extensive consumer base: With over 300 million customers in 180 countries, Amazon possesses the largest consumer data set, offering a significant advantage in training AI systems for e-commerce.

• Massive AI investment: Over 25 years of heavy AI investment has allowed Amazon to assemble a world-class team of engineers specialized in machine learning, natural language processing, and computer vision. Their access to high-quality data enables the creation of a powerful generative AI virtual assistant, surpassing competitors' shopping assistants.

• Amazon's AI products: Amazon's AI team has developed popular products like Alexa, Amazon Go, and Amazon Rekognition, showcasing their expertise and innovation in the AI field.

• Robust logistics network: Operating a logistics network comparable to UPS, Amazon ensures efficient and reliable delivery, setting them apart and presenting a significant challenge for competitors, even with a competent chatbot.

If companies who rely on AI really want to take down Amazon, they should start by delivering hot and crispy french fries. 🍟

THE FIRST AI-LED CHURCH SERVICE ⛪️

“Dear friends, it is an honour for me to stand here and preach to you as the first artificial intelligence at this year’s convention of Protestants in Germany.”

What happened? A church service in Bavaria, attended by hundreds of Protestants, was generated and led almost entirely by AI. The ChatGPT-powered chatbot guided over 300 individuals through a 40-minute service encompassing prayer, music, sermons, and blessings.

Where was the service? The AI church service was one of hundreds of events at the convention of Protestants in the Bavarian towns of Nuremberg and the neighbouring Fuerth. The convention itself—Deutscher Evangelischer Kirchentag in German—takes place every two years in the summer at a different place in Germany and draws tens of thousands of believers to pray, sing and discuss their faith. 🙏

How did the service work? The service—including the sermon, prayers and music—was created by ChatGPT and Jonas Simmerlein, a theologian and philosopher from the University of Vienna. He stated, “I told the artificial intelligence ‘We are at the church congress, you are a preacher … what would a church service look like?’ … You end up with a pretty solid church service.” The entire service was “led” by four different avatars on the screen—two young women, and two young men.

This service, as one might imagine, garnered incredibly mixed reactions. Heiderose Schmidt, a 54-year-old who works in IT, said she was initially excited about the service but ultimately found it disappointing. She stated, “There was no heart and no soul. The avatars showed no emotions at all, had no body language and were talking so fast and monotonously that it was very hard for me to concentrate on what they said.” She added, “But maybe it is different for the younger generation who grew up with all of this.”

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