With the rise of artificial intelligence, society finds itself in a landscape that is both bursting with possibility and a bit overwhelming at the same time.
For those of us tasked with forming the young in the faith — Catholic parents, educators and ministers — the challenge is no longer just about monitoring screen time or even knowing what apps they use; it is about forming the soul in a world where the line between what is human-created and AI-generated is increasingly blurred.
The Church has long advocated applying critical thinking skills when it comes to analyzing messages that come from media and digital technologies. AI literacy, however, requires something deeper: discernment. It means bringing the Holy Spirit into the conversations we have with ourselves and our children about how we choose to use this amazing gift that human intelligence has provided, namely artificial intelligence.
Much information about AI literacy is out there in the cyber ether, but with the Church and Pope Leo XIV’s emphasis on keeping the human person at the center of AI, it’s important that people of faith take the time to examine their motivations for turning to AI.
Four questions can guide this digital examen.
- What is going on? Awareness
In our fast-paced world, we often click and consume without giving our actions much thought. Becoming aware asks us to pause and notice what is going on in our heart, mind and soul as we utilize AI tools.
When confronting our own motivations for using AI, we can ask: Why am I turning to AI for this specific task? Am I using this tool in a manner that respects people and their inherent dignity (including my own)? Am I being overly reliant on AI instead of using my own creativity?
- What is really going on? Analysis
Analysis moves us deeper into our examen. We recall that AI systems are trained on massive amounts of data — data that carry all the beauty, but also all the biases and weaknesses of our fallen world.
Analysis helps us realize that “the computer said so” is never a reason for accepting what any AI system generates at face value, especially when it comes to morality. An AI system may have information, but it does not have wisdom.
As we use AI, we can ask: Does the algorithm promote stereotypes? Are there voices or perspectives that are missing? Does it prioritize profit over the common good? Is it giving harmful or wrong information?
- What difference does it make? Reflection
Here, we bring the AI experience into conversation with the Gospel and the values of our faith by asking and contemplating: How does this AI tool affect my relationship with God, others and myself? Does how I’m using AI enhance my God-given creativity and skills, or ignore them? Am I using AI in a virtuous, authentic and ethical manner?
Pope Francis often spoke of the “culture of encounter.” Reflection helps us see that while a chatbot can provide an answer, it cannot provide an encounter. It cannot offer empathy, it cannot celebrate a sacrament, and it cannot sit with a friend in grief. We must reflect on whether AI is helping us become more human, or if it is making us more detached from those around us.
- What difference can I make? Action
This final question asks us to articulate specific ideas about our own engagement with AI and AI-generated content. Action is about integrity. It’s about choosing to use these powerful tools to build the kingdom of God rather than just to “make life easier.”
For example, a parent might commit to learning more about whatever AI system is being used at their child’s school so they can be a better guide at home.
For an educator, it might mean teaching students how to use AI ethically — to brainstorm and organize a paper or project, but never as a substitute for their own voice and thoughts.
For a minister, it might mean using AI to organize parish data while ensuring that the “pastoral heart” of the parish remains human-led.
The Church has a long history of adopting new media and communications technologies — from the printing press to social media — to spread the Gospel. However, AI is unique because it mimics human behavior and threatens human agency. If we do not model good use of AI and teach children to be critical thinkers when it comes to artificial intelligence, they risk losing the ability to distinguish between a data-driven response and thoughts and values gleaned from an authentic relationship with Christ.
By asking these questions when we engage with AI, we move from being reactive to being discerning and intentional. We empower ourselves, as well as the young people we are responsible for, to navigate the digital continent with a compass calibrated by faith, ensuring that even in a world of computers that sound like people, the human heart remains the primary seeker and finder of truth.
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