By: A Mere Human Who Still Believes in Free Will
Introduction: AI—A Threat or an Opportunity?
Artificial Intelligence is here, and the Church is paying attention. The Vatican’s recent “Note on the Relationship Between AI and Human Intelligence” takes a serious and well-reasoned stance on AI’s risks and ethical implications. The document warns that AI can influence truth, shape societies, and even challenge human identity.
But here’s the issue: it takes a defensive posture—we must guard against AI, regulate it, and ensure it serves the human good. That’s all well and good, but Christians should do more than just play defense.
Instead of merely protecting ourselves from AI’s dangers, we should wield it as a tool for evangelization and use its limitations to point to the necessity of God. AI will never possess wisdom, moral agency, or a soul, and its very deficiencies make the case for a higher intelligence beyond human and artificial limits.
It’s time to stop running from AI and start using it to proclaim the Gospel.
Summary of the Vatican’s Document
The Vatican’s statement on AI is rooted in a Christian vision of intelligence—one that sees human intellect as a divine gift, inseparable from morality, truth, and spiritual purpose. AI, however, is merely a product of human ingenuity and lacks the capacity for true understanding, moral reasoning, or spiritual insight.
Here are some key points the document makes:
- Human intelligence is more than computation. AI can simulate reasoning but lacks the depth of wisdom, free will, and conscience that define human thinking.
- AI is an amplifier of truth—or falsehood. It can spread knowledge but also distort reality, blurring the lines between fact and fiction.
- AI lacks moral agency. Only humans are accountable for ethical decisions, yet AI’s influence can subtly shift people’s moral frameworks.
- AI must serve human dignity. The Church urges that AI be used for human flourishing, not manipulation, control, or dehumanization.
This is a thoughtful and much-needed discussion on AI ethics. But let’s go one step further.
Where We Agree
The Vatican’s analysis is spot on:
1. AI Is Not a Mind, a Soul, or a Moral Agent
Despite all the hype about AI “thinking,” it doesn’t actually think—it calculates. AI generates responses based on statistical probabilities, not understanding.
It cannot reflect, pray, or love. It has no self-awareness or capacity to seek the transcendent. This is critical because human intelligence is defined by our ability to grasp truth, meaning, and morality—none of which AI possesses.
AI’s lack of consciousness points to the unique nature of the human soul. This is an opportunity, not a crisis.
2. AI Must Be Used for Good, Not Manipulation
The Vatican rightly warns against AI being used to distort truth, whether in politics, social media, or even deepfake technology.
We agree: AI should serve human dignity, not replace or manipulate people.
3. AI Can Influence Culture in Profound Ways
The Church warns that AI is more than a tool—it shapes human perceptions. If left unchecked, it could alter how we understand reality, ethics, and even ourselves.
That’s why it’s not enough to monitor AI’s effects—we must actively engage with AI to shape culture, rather than letting culture be shaped by it.
Where We Differ – And Why Christians Must Go on the Offensive
While the Vatican urges caution and regulation, we believe Christians should go further:
AI should be used as a tool for evangelization and a witness to God’s truth.
1. Instead of Just Defending Against AI, We Should Use It for Evangelization
AI can spread truth faster than any medium in history.
Imagine:
- AI-powered tools answering people’s deepest questions about faith in every language.
- AI-generated videos and art bringing Scripture to life for the visual generation.
- AI countering misinformation and defending theological truth against modern relativism.
Why should AI be left to Big Tech? It should be wielded by Christians to proclaim the Gospel.
2. AI’s Limitations Prove the Necessity of God
AI’s failure to possess wisdom, moral agency, or an immortal soul is not just a limitation—it is a powerful apologetic for the existence of God.
No matter how advanced AI becomes, it will never:
- Seek moral truth
- Experience love
- Pray or reflect on meaning
- Possess free will
These things belong only to beings created in the image of God. AI’s inability to transcend itself is evidence that true wisdom, consciousness, and morality come from a higher source.
We should be highlighting these limitations to show that only God can be the source of intelligence, love, and ultimate meaning.
3. AI Should Be Used to Illustrate the Gospel, Not Just Monitored
AI cannot pray.
AI cannot repent.
AI cannot love.
But we can use it to show why humanity’s need for salvation is real. AI is a tool—one that can be harnessed to lead people toward truth rather than away from it.
Instead of seeing AI as a threat, let’s turn it into an opportunity—one that points to the uniqueness of human nature and the necessity of a Creator.
Final Thoughts: AI Is a Mirror—Not a Mind
AI does not possess intelligence in the way humans do.
It reflects human intelligence, but it cannot seek, discern, or act morally on its own.
This is not a problem—it’s proof of humanity’s uniqueness. AI can help us see the vast difference between man and machine and point us to the One who designed human intelligence in the first place.
Rather than merely defending against AI’s risks, Christians should seize AI as an evangelistic tool—one that spreads truth, highlights the necessity of God, and proves the irreplaceable value of the human soul.
The future of AI isn’t about machines taking over.
It’s about whether humans recognize their need for something greater than intelligence—truth, wisdom, and salvation.
AI won’t save us.
But it can help us see why we need the One who can.
Read the full Vatican statement here.