The Greek Orthodox Church has entered the age of artificial intelligence with the specialized tool LOGOS, developed at the initiative of the Metropolitanate of Nea Ionia, Philadelphia, Heraklion and Chalcedon in cooperation with the Aegean University based on the island of Lesbos, the Greek daily “Kathimerini“ reported in its online edition, BTA reported.
The Metropolitan of Nea Ionia Gabriel, who came up with the idea for developing the tool, explains that LOGOS provides an organized digital library, and the artificial intelligence algorithm collects information related to the questions people ask and formulates it into understandable and useful answers. LOGOS “does not replace a person and a spiritual (mentor). It acts as a guide that will lead the believer to the next step in the Church, which has the task of catechizing“, explains Metropolitan Gabriel.
He says that children through their mobile phones, as well as people on the Internet, get almost all their ideas from there and adds that the Church cannot remain outside this reality. “Every tool that man creates, (must) be used in the service of man. With this application we seek to “ecclesiasticize“ a human creation. The development of technology is not aimed at making man a tool of artificial intelligence, but at making artificial intelligence a tool of man“, says the metropolitan.
LOGOS is defined as “a digital spiritual reference tool that uses the capabilities of artificial intelligence to provide knowledge and information on theological, ecclesiastical and spiritual issues, based on the light of Orthodox tradition and the spiritual experience of the Church“.
The application invites those interested: “Ask me about what interests you in relation to faith, prayer, worship or spiritual life; LOGOS is here to guide you with respect, knowledge and discretion, illuminating your path in the Orthodox faith“.
The report also describes a test of how artificial intelligence works. When asked if the user can confess through the app, LOGOS replies that it cannot accept confession, but describes the sacrament of confession and offers to help prepare for confession by preparing a short guide and offering a prayer to be said before and after the sacrament.