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A Flemish Catholic youth organization has launched what it calls a Catholic AI chatbot, aiming to help young people navigate questions of faith and identity in a digital age often dominated by polarizing voices.
The chatbot, named Via, was developed by a collaborative team of AI experts, theologians, and youth pastors and is now live on the Kamino website, Belga News Agency reported July 24.
Kamino, the group behind the initiative, said the tool is a direct response to an increasing trend: young people seeking answers about faith and life online — where nuanced Catholic perspectives are often drowned out.
“The problem is that radical opinions about the Christian faith are much more prevalent online today than the voice of the nuanced middle ground,” said Sofi Van Ussel, director of Kamino, according to Belga News Agency. “What’s more, the algorithms of TikTok and YouTube can draw you into a one-sided view.”
Via is trained on Catholic sources, Scripture, and official Church documents, according to the outlet. It frequently refers users to qualified experts, including theologians, professionals, and youth ministers. Belga News Agency noted that Kamino’s “Catholic ChatGPT” bot deliberately refrains from offering “opinions or judgements on sensitive topics such as sexuality or abortion.”
Currently, Via is only available in Dutch, but Kamino plans to expand it into other languages as interest grows internationally.
