Kathrin Trattner will present at the conference «God, Human, Machine: Images and Imaginaries of Religion in the Age of AI», taking place from the 28–30. September 2026 at the University of Erfurt. The conference examines how AI technologies are reshaping religious images and imaginaries, encompassing the symbolic, affective, and sensory dimensions of religious life and practice across traditions, cultures, and social contexts.

Presentation: «Well done, my good and faithful servant.» The role of generative AI in the digital martyrdom of Charlie Kirk

After Christian nationalist podcaster and influencer Charlie Kirk was shot at Utah Valley University on 10 September 2025, various US officials were quick to frame his death in religious terms. At his highly publicized memorial service as well as on social media, he was repeatedly declared a martyr who died for his beliefs and his country. From the outset, generative AI played a central role in this process of Kirk’s quasi-canonization. AI-generated messages from the influencer from beyond the grave were played in megachurches, and social media platforms were flooded with images and videos of Charlie Kirk being welcomed into heaven by figures like Pope Francis and Abraham Lincoln. Focussing on TikTok, the presentation examines AI-generated visual material of Charlie Kirk circulated on social media after his death on two levels: Firstly, regarding its aesthetic structures and intersecting references to Christianity and the nation, and, secondly, concerning its overarching role in Kirk’s canonization within a Christian nationalist context . Special attention is also paid to the role platform economies play in the dissemination, circulation, and response to content.