MANILA, Philippines – Prayer is said to be the free and fastest way to communicate with God or with a believed supreme being, and it is personal. Anyone can offer a personal and intimate prayer. Aside from personal prayer, there are gatherings or events that either do not begin, or are deliberately begun, without a prayer.
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| Tuguegarao councilor criticized for allegedly reading aloud AI-generated prayer in session. Photo courtesy: Nutribun Republic/Facebook |
Just like what happened during the 9th City Council Regular Session in Tuguegarao, where Tuguegarao City Councilor Grace Arago led the opening prayer: she read the well-crafted prayer while looking at her cellphone. It says, “May Your Divine light shine upon us. Guiding us in our endeavors and filling our hearts with hope and inspiration…”
But the solemn attention given to the prayer being read was soon replaced by confusion among the listeners, some were trying to suppress their smiles or laughter, and one even whispered to the person beside him, when she read the following words.
“Feel free to modify this prayer or tailor it to your specific needs and benefits…”
She paused mid-sentence, as if something crossed her mind. But she still went on to finish the prayer. And there’s still silence…
“This we ask in Jesus’ name, Amen.”
IN AI WE TRUST? WATCH: Netizens slam Tuguegarao City Councilor Grace Arago for allegedly using Artificial Intelligence to write the prayer she read during the 9th City Council Regular Session on Tuesday, June 17. “Hindi na nga bukal sa puso yung dasal mo, binasa mo pa yung instructions ni META,” one user said. 📷 Nutribun Republic
Posted by Bilyonaryo News Channel on Thursday, June 19, 2025
For those who had no idea or weren’t paying attention, it might have seemed like nothing and was easily dismissed. But for those in the know, it was a major blunder moment—because what she had said toward the end was allegedly taken from a prayer generated by an Artificial Intelligence (AI) chatbot.
She immediately received criticism from netizens. They said that it was "just a prayer"—why rely on AI for something so personal? Some questioned whether she couldn’t compose a simple prayer herself.
Others pointed out that if English was a challenge, she could have simply prayed in Filipino to avoid embarrassment.
Some also commented that while using AI tools is acceptable, one should at least read the output properly and make sure it doesn’t sound unnatural—especially if it’s just going to be read aloud anyway.
There were also those who came to her defense, saying there was nothing wrong with using an AI tool to create the prayer, as what truly matters is the message it conveys.
As of the writing of this article, the said councilor has yet to release a statement regarding the issue.
— Noel Ed Richards, The Summit Express