A popular US-based Catholic publisher has ditched an AI-based “priest” it debuted on its website late in April, after the rogue chatbot was found to be giving unorthodox replies to readers’ questions. The AI “theologian” reportedly mixed up “commute” with “communion”, performed unapproved online confessions and gave the go-ahead for baptisms to be carried out using Gatorade. Catholic Answers announced that its new “Father Justin” chatbot is now to be replaced, first by a character named “Justin” and later by another as-yet-unnamed “lay” AI bot. Catholic Answers, which publishes books and podca…