Speaking with Luther on YouTube
Photo YouTube still, EKiRInternet
Central Europe
Germans can talk to Luther on Tuesday. "This is how we show how to use technology wisely."
It is sunny and green on the lawn in front of Wittenberg's research library. A man dressed in a toga focuses on a camera and tells how he nailed 95 theses to Wittenberg's castle chapel in 1517. "But what do these mean today? You can ask me live on YouTube."
The man in the video is unmistakably Martin Luther. The famous German reformer died in 1546, but artificial intelligence made it possible to interact with him. "It is, of course an experiment, but we want to bring the message of the Reformation to life and to our time," states Ralf Peter Reimann to Evangelisch.de. Reimann is the Internet representative of the Protestant Church in the Rhineland.
The digital Luther is created through AI algorithms. A painting of the reformer served as the visual basis for the three-dimensional model. Interactions with the avatar will take place in the virtual reality Metaverse, which will then be broadcast live on YouTube. "The AI is programmed to give answers in the style of Martin Luther", stated the church.
Andreas Droste, a technical consultant, leads the project. He sees great potential in the technologies used, which so far have mainly been used in large companies. "As a Protestant Christian, I am happy to make such technology available to the church. With the Luther avatar, we show how it can be used sensibly."
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