This podcast examines whether artificial intelligence (AI) will amplify totalitarian tendencies in human societies through the philosophical lenses of Augusto Del Noce, Alexander Solzhenitsyn, Pope Benedict XVI, and Václav Havel. The case for AI enhancing totalitarianism hinges on its alignment with instrumental rationality, which reduces human reasoning to technical problem-solving (Del Noce), erodes moral agency (Solzhenitsyn), enables pervasive surveillance (Havel), and marginalizes non-technical worldviews. AI’s optimization-driven logic risks entrenching technocratic control, diminishing metaphysical inquiry, and automating social conformity.

Conversely, the case against emphasizes AI’s potential to democratize knowledge, enhance human judgment, expose systemic flaws in technocratic systems, and reinforce communities grounded in spiritual values (Solzhenitsyn). Properly framed, AI could support human reason (Benedict XVI) by aiding decision-making while preserving moral autonomy.

The analysis concludes that AI’s impact is not deterministic but shaped by societal philosophical frameworks. To prevent totalitarian outcomes, humanity must uphold transcendent values, maintain spaces for moral and metaphysical questioning, and ensure technology serves—rather than replaces—human judgment and community. Key safeguards include recognizing human dignity, fostering ethical governance of AI, and prioritizing wisdom over mere technical efficiency. Ultimately, the document argues that resisting the reduction of reason to instrumental logic and nurturing human-centric values will determine whether AI fosters freedom or tyranny.

This episode discusses the simulation hypothesis, which suggests that our reality could be a simulated environment created by an advanced civilization. We trace the historical and philosophical roots of this idea, from ancient Chinese and Greek philosophy to modern thinkers like Nick Bostrom and David Chalmers. Many influential technologists believe in the simulation hypothesis, which I find problematic from a Catholic theological perspective. I argue that the simulation hypothesis is incompatible with key Catholic beliefs. I conclude by again emphasizing the need to evangelize technologists who hold these beliefs, as they are an influential group whose secular humanist beliefs may be embedded in the technologies they create.

In this podcast script, I discuss the Catholic Church's role in shaping the future of artificial intelligence (AI). Of course I am optimistic about the gradual development of AI and its potential to benefit humanity.

I discuss the importance of open-source AI platforms and diversity in AI development, aligning these principles with Catholic teachings on the common good. While bias in AI is inevitable, fostering a diverse ecosystem of AI systems appropriate for different cultures and value systems is crucial.

Drawing on Pope Francis' critique of the "technocratic paradigm" in Laudato Si, I discuss the need for the Church to approach AI with humility and respect for the mystery of creation. Catholics need to engage with these developments in a spirit of discernment, seeking to harness the power of technology for the common good while remaining grounded in faith and commitment to human dignity. Ultimately, AI should serve to advance and enrich the ways we worship God and evangelize others.