Before his children go to sleep, South Korean pastor Kim Byung-hee plays them an AI-generated audio Bible recorded in his own voice. He says that could help his children inherit a religious legacy similar to the one he received from his mother, who used to read the Bible to him when he was little.
The 47-year-old does this thanks to Biblely, a generative AI platform developed by startup Voiselah. Launched in 2022, the service offers audio Bibles narrated by different voices. Laypersons as well as pastors can record the Bible, for a fee.
Kim, a pastor at Myungsung Church, said audio Bibles recorded in familiar voices “enhance focus and stimulate imagination” more effectively than those recorded by professional actors. With the help of AI, he recorded the entire Bible in just about an hour.
Biblely has created audio Bibles in partnership with around 50 churches as of writing, which collectively represent around 1.5 million people, according to Choo Hun-yup, the CEO of Voiselah.
“When church services and gatherings were restricted, people sought out audio recordings of familiar pastors reading the Bible, which then grew into a movement. This, I believe, inspired me to start the initiative,” Choo told Rest of World. During the pandemic, churches became major Covid-19 hot spots, and the South Korean government put restrictions on religious events.
Lee Jae-hoon, a pastor at Onnuri Church, one of the largest churches in South Korea, also recorded a reading for Biblely. He says he’s gotten a mixed reaction from his congregation. “Some criticized [us] for taking a shortcut by relying on technology instead of putting in the effort themselves,” Lee told Rest of World. But he sees it as a “good try” because “it can save energy.”
Choo has taken the company’s product abroad. In 2023, he showcased the service’s English version at the CES consumer electronics event in Las Vegas, with the Bible narrated in the voice of Timothy Keller, the American pastor, best-selling author, and founder of Redeemer Presbyterian Church, who died that year.
Choo said that despite concerns over AI potentially replacing pastors, Biblely does not pose a threat to religious leaders. “By focusing on the Bible, it’s about helping people,” he said.