California pastor Justin Lester uses AI twins of himself for church work

In short: A Baptist pastor in California has built several AI “twins” that copy his voice, face, and writing style, and he says more people are using them.

What's going on

Rev. Dr. Justin Lester, pastor of Friendship Baptist Church in Vallejo, California, has created multiple AI versions of himself. These tools are trained mainly on his sermons and other public content. Think of it like a very detailed autocomplete that tries to answer the way he usually would.

One tool answers calls and messages in a voice that sounds like him. Reporting says it can respond to emails, schedule meetings, and handle other routine tasks, including at night. Lester has also described an AI “clone” on his personal and church websites that people can chat with after services, and it updates each week using the latest YouTube sermon.

He also uses an AI “twin” to make videos for social media. In an interview, Lester said about half of the videos he posts are not recorded by him, but by an AI version trained on his voice. Separately, he has built custom chat tools, including one he calls “PastorGPT,” that can turn his sermons into discussion guides and lesson materials for small groups and other church leaders.

What to watch

There are no public numbers showing how many people use these AI twins. Still, Lester’s setup shows how AI is moving from simple office help into more personal roles, like answering faith questions and speaking in a leader’s voice. For churches and members, a key issue to watch is transparency, meaning whether people are clearly told when they are talking to a real person versus a tool.

Source: NYTimes