Credit: Rome Reports
Artificial intelligence has reached the Catholic Church. According to Vatican documents a program called Magisterium AI is being rolled out to help users easily find answers to questions of faith.
“What we’re really trying to do with Magisterium AI is really emphasise that this is something that can help you explore church teaching, answer important questions that maybe you don’t feel comfortable asking a priest yet,” said Matthew Sanders, CEO and founder of Longbeard Creative Inc. and creator of Magisterium AI.
Artificial intelligence is gaining ground in the scientific field. Vulgate AI, a product of Longbeard Creative helps researchers quickly find any document in a library if it has been digitised. The Vatican Museums have also taken advantage of AI to better process huge amounts of data and better study an Egyptian collection.
Even though artificial intelligence offers a great deal of benefits, experts point out that there is one area where this tool cannot serve as a replacement: human experiences.
“There’s this anthropomorphising of AI. I think it’s important to understand that it’s a tool, right? It’s not meant to be a substitute for your priest. And it should be no substitute for real human experiences,” explained Matthew.
“It’s never going to be a replacement for sacramentally participating in the life of the church or finding your own spiritual director and having more in-depth conversations about church teaching and how it applies to your life.”
Artificial intelligence only continues to advance. In 2022, the artificial intelligence sector was valued at more than $400 billion dollars and it is expected to increase to more than $2 trillion by 2032.