Devotionals from a Soulless Machine

A Journey of Faith through Artificial Intelligence

By: Preston Lewis, Harriet Lewis

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

With the release of OpenAI making ChatGPT available to the public in 2022, the authors wondered how a soulless machine would interpret biblical verses. Would the results from a godless computer be derogatory or supportive of their Christian beliefs? Using some of the most beloved verses as well as several of the more disturbing passages from the Bible, Preston and Harriet Lewis began a faith journey through artificial intelligence that provided surprising results.

Devotionals from a Soulless Machine: A Journey of Faith through Artificial Intelligence takes the reader along as these two laypersons explore how A.I. interprets God’s message and the basic tenets of Christianity. The co-authors prompted ChatGPT to develop a devotional of 500 words or less along with a related prayer on more than a hundred biblical verses, including some of the most-recognized verses as well as some of the most obscure or vile passages never covered in Sunday school lessons.

The exercise presented fascinating and sensitive devotionals that lined up comfortably with Christian values and beliefs. On a few occasions ChatGPT even declined to produce a devotional, reporting that the selected passage contained language difficult to interpret in a positive light, violating its goal of promoting positivity, love, and understanding.

This couple’s journey of faith resulted in 82,000 words of devotionals and reflections. In the end the exercise provided the authors with some reassurances about how artificial intelligence can support religious growth as well as raising questions about the technology’s long-term implications for the religious experience. Devotionals from a Soulless Machine: A Journey of Faith through Artificial Intelligence provides an eye-opening look into the majesty of Christian convictions, even in the age of algorithms and chatbots.