In this lecture, Katrine Laigaard Baunvig, professor of Digital Humanities and head of the Centre for Grundtvig Research at Aarhus University, looks at artificial intelligence in relation to Christmas, carol singing and human participation.
Christmas is full of words, images, melodies and repetitions that stir memories, longing and a sense of community. What happens when AI is asked to imitate these expressions, writing hymns, creating images and sound, and conjuring a festive mood? Baunvig explores whether there is something in the language technology behind systems like ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini that could be called a little festive and hymn-like, and what is distinctly human about celebrating, longing, repeating and belonging.
The talk is part of the Eliaskirken lecture series Mening, tro & etik, which in autumn 2026 features 14 lectures on artificial intelligence and the questions it raises for our lives and communities.
