No, AI cannot replace human evangelization

I had a grand ol’ time earlier this week speaking with Morning Air’s John Morales about the question: can AI replace human evangelization? My answer: no! Though not without a few laughs on the way, contemplating the pros and cons of farming out Catholic communications to a robot. You can listen to the conversation here.

Interestingly, this week I then came across two instances where the Church is embracing, at least partially, AI. The first is that The Vatican announced Tuesday that Pope Francis’ annual peace message for 2024 will focus on AI:

The Vatican office noted that artificial intelligence technologies are having “a rapidly increasing impact on human activity, personal and social life, politics and the economy” and called for vigilance to ensure that technological development contributes to “the promotion of justice and peace in the world.”

Indeed.

Pope Francis has repeatedly called for making “the intrinsic dignity of every man and every woman the key criterion in evaluating emerging technologies.”

And that’s just it, isn’t it? “The intrinsic dignity of every man and every woman” is the central basis for any decision if you are a Catholic (and it should be that way for everyone, but then of course men are not angels).

Then later I saw the Catholic Media Association, of which I am a member, is hosting an AI training for PR and communications professionals. It seems geared less toward creative writing, though I see learning how to use AI for “content creation.” Overall it seems focused on helping communications professionals streamline processes. Makes sense. But it all feels like a slippery slope, doesn’t it?

My bottom line is: I don’t like it because it’s artificial. As we talked about in the interview, I don’t see AI really bringing out anyone’s virtues, especially if you are actively using it to create for you, as opposed to using it to enhance your search engine or something administrative. And there’s so much artificial about our world already! Do we need more in our own apostolates, when so much of our world is anti-human? And I can’t see AI as anything other than fundamentally anti-human. I’m sure that’s a hot take.

As I say in the interview, it is feels far nicer - more human - to hold hands with a fellow human, than a robot - at least for now. And because what the human heart desires will never change, we run the risk of forcing human behavior to choose AI for the sake of convenience, and not because it is what is good for us. Shortcuts, artificial reality, fake relationships, no real love, lack of hardship that makes us grow, change, or learn. I wouldn’t dream of setting up an AI system to write my blog posts for me. Why bother writing, at all? Why lie to the public? Why separate yourself from the Holy Spirit, by whom all communication is inspired, anyway? Why shortchange yourself a chance to be real?

And on an incredibly relevant note, as I wrote this post, I came across this quote from the English writer and artist John Ruskin:

"The highest reward for a person's toil is not what they get for it, but what they become by it."

Can AI replace human evangelization?

Friends, I have a very interesting discussion coming up this Tuesday at 7:10 am eastern on Relevant Radio’s Morning Air program: can AI replace human evangelization? Whether it’s through the creation of the written or spoken work, visual or graphic arts, or even just explaining the Catechism, the time approaches when Catholics are going to wonder and test out how AI can help them spread the good news.

A few things we’ll be discussing:

• Will using AI bring out our virtues, or vices? Will it make us lazy perfectionists?

• Can the Holy Spirit work through AI-generated religious content?

• How can you tell if what you’ve created is accurate, or especially that it doesn’t accidentally contain something evil?

• Is using AI totally safe, or is it like summoning something through a Ouija board?!

• Will using AI separate us from the fruits of traditional evangelization, like relationships made with those served, and humility gained in humbling or tough situations?

• And much more!

You can find your radio station here, via the Relevant Radio app (I do recommend, because then you get access to all their shows whenever you feel like it), or listen online via the streaming service here.

Listen to me on Relevant Radio: make your home a domestic church

I enjoyed speaking with John Morales earlier this week about my family’s experience having the enthronement of the Sacred Heart performed in our home by the Legion of Mary. We also talked about the call to make one’s home the domestic church. You can listen to the conversation here, which starts at minute 9:05.

The enthronement declares Jesus king of the household, and brings a reminder of the eucharist in (even for the purposes of adoration!). Our homes should be peaceful, holy places, an antidote to the chaos out there in the secular world. And from there, peace can radiate out. We talked about all that.

I am convinced that it is our duty simply to create peace within our own sphere. To go beyond and individually try to implement world peace is just too much. You can, however, govern your own relationships, and more importantly, your own self. Deal with the problems right in front of you, rather than focus entirely what some politician in Washington is doing. For example, can you name your representative in the state house of delegates or representatives? That’s someone you’re more likely to influence.

I was recently reminded that St. Irenaeus wrote, “The glory of God is man fully alive.” Reflect on that!