T

here are many reasons why it is important for researchers to share their knowledge and expertise with the public.

Doing so not only creates awareness of developments within a specific field but also attracts broader interest in one's work. I experienced this first-hand when I published a shortened, more accessible version of my academic article in The Conversation on 7 August 2025.

Prof Anné Verhoef

My original article on AI Jesus chat bots had already been published on 10 July in an accredited South African journal, but it generated limited academic attention. Once The Conversation published it, however, nearly 28 000 people from around the world read it. It was also translated into French, where it reached more than a thousand readers.

The article was subsequently republished – in line with The Conversation's copyright policy – by numerous media outlets including Daily Maverick, Gizmodo, Daily Nation Kenya, Samsung News, TechXplore, Times of Malta, Celebrity Gig, Newsify, Stuff, Newsblur, SmartNews, Tolerance, The Oasis Reporters, Menafn and Modern Ghana. It was also distributed to the media by the NWU's Corporate Communication department, which helped to extend its reach even further.

Following this widespread exposure, I was invited to participate in several radio interviews. These included appearances on Radio 702's Drive with John Perlman, RSG's Op en Wakker, Power987FM's Power Perspective with Thabiso Tema, Sydney's Radio 2SM Tim Webster Breakfast Show, and CapeTalk Radio.

Further interviews and features followed in Canada, Spain, Russia and South Africa. These included an interview with David Capel from The Sunday Times on AI and religion; with Carla Coetsee from You/Huisgenoot on religion and artificial intelligence; with Rodrigo Alonso from ABC newspaper in Spain about religious AI chatbots; with Anna Ivanova from Russia's Izvestia Multimedia Information Centre; and with Brian Owens from Nature in Canada. Nature then published this article on 15 September: The chatbots claiming to be Jesus: spreading gospel or heresy?

I was also invited to serve as a panel member at the Aardklop Arts Festival in Potchefstroom on "Technology in the classroom: The role of AI in schools" (8 October), to deliver a public lecture at the University of the Third Age in Potchefstroom on "How AI is changing our world" (26 September), and to present a keynote address at Eduvos, Pretoria Campus, during the Educating Educators' event titled "From Chalkboard to Chatbots" (12 September).

All these interviews, discussions and presentations helped me to communicate the significance of my research more effectively, while also prompting deeper reflection on contemporary issues in this field. The public engagement encouraged me to pursue further research to address the many questions that arose in response to my work.

Sharing your academic research in a more accessible format, such as through The Conversation or through the university's communication channels such as this publication, is truly worthwhile – it broadens impact, encourages dialogue, and demonstrates the real-world value of university research.