Catholic Futurist

Catholic Futurist
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For all those curious about the world of tomorrow and how to navigate the crucial choices presented by emerging technology, guided by the practical and timeless wisdom of the Catholic faith, join Benjamin Crockett on the Catholic Futurist Podcast.

  1. Can the Pope stop the AI arms race?

    1D AGO

    Can the Pope stop the AI arms race?

    What keeps AI researchers up at night? Not robots turning evil. Something far more plausible — and far more urgent. Most conversations about AI risk deal in abstractions. This one doesn't. Three guests at the intersection of faith, technology, and global security sit down to name the specific scenarios that concern them most — and to ask whether the Catholic Church is uniquely positioned to respond. In this episode of Catholic Futurist, Benjamin Crockett is joined by John-Clark Levin, Research Lead at Kurzweil Technologies, William Jones, Associate of the Futures Program at the Future of Life Institute, and Fr. Michael Baggot, L.C., Professor of Bioethics at the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum. They don't agree on everything. But they converge on this: the Catholic Church has something to say about AI that Silicon Valley cannot offer — and the window to say it is narrowing. Together they explore:  why the most dangerous AI risks require no leap of speculative logichow geopolitical pressure leads good people to catastrophic choiceswhat AI companionship is doing to human relationships and the soulwhether Pope Leo could play the role John Paul II played in the nuclear conversationand what genuine hope looks like at the edge of civilizational riskTimestamps: 0:00 – The "Grown" Intelligence 1:04 – Real-World Risks vs. Science Fiction 3:31 – The Geopolitical Arms Race 5:44 – AI and Nuclear Escalation 7:19 – Seeking a Collaborative Framework 10:51 – The Lack of Interpretability 12:53 – Deceptive Alignment 13:26 – Collateral Damage to the Soul 18:28 – The "Demonic Summer of Love" 24:21 – A Call for Democratic Control 28:28 – The Global Competitive Landscape 30:04 – The Case for Optimism

    38 min
  2. Are We Producing Human Bots?

    MAR 20

    Are We Producing Human Bots?

    Most of us move through an education system we didn’t design—and rarely have the opportunity to question. Fr. Ambrose Criste, O.Praem., does. Speaking at an AI conference in Rome, he traces the roots of modern schooling to systems built for efficiency and output—and asks whether Catholic education is still operating within a model not originally designed for human formation. Catholic education, he argues, has a deeper purpose: the formation of the human person, ultimately ordered toward the salvation of souls. Everything else—grades, college, career—follows from that. His response to the AI moment is not a better system of production, but a renewed vision of what a human being is—and what education is for. Timestamps: 0:00 Intro: The True Purpose of Education1:03 Meet Father Ambrose1:34 How the Church is Actually Using AI4:08 The Problem with "Factory" Schools8:18 Why AI Will Never Have True Intelligence9:32 The Hidden Dangers of Tech Algorithms13:17 Why AI Can't Replace Human Teachers15:36 Using AI as a Teaching Tool17:23 Finding Hope in Screen-Free Schools

    19 min
  3. "Don't Hire Humans" — A Catholic Response to AI

    FEB 25

    "Don't Hire Humans" — A Catholic Response to AI

    A student sees a billboard: "Don't hire humans. Hire us robots." He walks into class and asks his professor: What's the point of this degree? That question—captured in this conversation—is the question of our era. And without a robust understanding of the human person, institutions struggle to answer it. In this episode of Catholic Futurist, Benjamin Crockett sits down with Dr. Aaron Dominguez, Provost of Catholic University of America, and John Brahier, a Catholic educator and Director of Partnerships at Longbeard, to explore what happens when an entire generation of students begins to wonder if humans are becoming obsolete. Timestamps: 0:00 - The Mirroring Effect of LLMs5:54 - AI as a New Industrial Revolution7:11 - Human Soul vs. Digital Simulation12:15 - Responding to the "Hire Robots" Narrative16:11 - Three Pillars for Human-AI Teams19:47 - Protecting Human Dignity Amidst Job LossThe conversation examines how the Church's understanding of Imago Dei serves as a safeguard against digital reductionism—the belief that humans are just a collection of automatable tasks. Drawing on the launch of new AI degree programs at Catholic University and real challenges facing educators, they discuss: why education must remain an incarnational encounterthe three pillars for ensuring technology leads to human flourishinghow to prepare for a world where work is disrupted but dignity remainsand what it means to find purpose when your profession may not exist in ten years

    26 min
  4. Will AI Create a New Super-Elite?

    FEB 6

    Will AI Create a New Super-Elite?

    What scares people about AI isn’t just how fast it’s moving — it’s how quickly speed can harden into permanent power. In this episode of Catholic Futurist, Benjamin Crockett speaks with Sr. Nancy Usselmann, FSP, about the growing concern that artificial intelligence could consolidate control, influence, and opportunity into the hands of a small group — creating a super-elite that others may never be able to catch up to. 0:00 - The Church’s Mandate for AI 1:10 - Ethics, Equity, and Silicon Valley 2:30 - Why Gen Z is “Checking Out” of Tech 6:12 - Using Magisterium AI vs. ChatGPT 8:30 - Evangelization in a Digital Age 13:10 - The Risk of AI Relationships

    15 min
  5. Star Wars & Catholicism: Is anyone beyond redemption?

    JAN 19

    Star Wars & Catholicism: Is anyone beyond redemption?

    Is anyone truly beyond redemption? Benjamin Crockett and professor Fr. Alejandro Crosthwaite, OP reflect on Darth Vader’s fall and redemption through a Catholic lens, unpacking how fear and the desire for control distort love, and how mercy can still break through. Timestamps: 02:49 – What is The Force? 06:58 – Jedi Order vs. Religious Life 14:50 – Palpatine as the Biblical Satan? 27:08 – Anakin: The Judas Archetype 45:36 – Mustafar: A Vision of Hell53:13 – The Path to Redemption

    57 min
  6. AI, Loneliness, and the Need for Real Presence

    JAN 6

    AI, Loneliness, and the Need for Real Presence

    Artificial intelligence promises efficiency and connection, but many people feel more lonely than ever. Why? In this episode of Catholic Futurist, host Benjamin Crockett is joined by Fr. John Paul Mary Zeller, EWTN chaplain, to reflect on why technology, including AI, cannot replace real human presence, confession, or healing. Drawing on pastoral experience, personal vulnerability, and Catholic spiritual wisdom, this conversation explores the rise of anxiety and isolation, the temptation to retreat into screens, and why authentic relationships, silence, and prayer remain essential for human flourishing. Technology can help us. It cannot replace us. Timestamps: 0:00 - Building vs. Tearing Down1:08 - The "Wake" of AI 10:10 - The Iceberg of Secrets14:14 - Can AI Simulate Healing?24:38 - Reclaiming Silence

    42 min
  7. AI in Parish Life: What Every Catholic Needs to Know

    12/11/2025

    AI in Parish Life: What Every Catholic Needs to Know

    What should Catholic priests actually do with AI — right now? Ignore it? Fear it? Or use it strategically to amplify evangelization? In this episode, Benjamin Crockett is joined by ministry innovators Edmundo Reyes and Edmund Mitchell. Together, they present a simple but transformative insight: AI can handle “Mission Support,” freeing pastors to focus on “Mission Direct”—the human, sacramental, irreplaceable heart of ministry. They share real examples of AI supporting homilies, RCIA programs, and pastoral care — and explain why people are turning to AI instead of humans for emotional support, and what that means for the Church. Timestamps: 0:40 - Tech and Evangelization3:11 - Parish Ministry and Tech6:52 - "Digital Continent" vs. "Digital Culture"12:52 - Mission Support vs. Direct Explained34:43 - AI: Tool vs. Thinking Partner40:06 - Why People Confide in ChatGPT42:43 - The Parish in 2035

    51 min
  8. What AI Can’t Teach: A Catholic Priest on the Future of Education

    11/20/2025

    What AI Can’t Teach: A Catholic Priest on the Future of Education

    AI can write an essay in seconds — but what happens to the mind that never learns to think? In this episode, host Benjamin Crockett sits down with Fr. Kenny Ang, Research Professor at the Pontifical University of Santa Croce, to confront one of the most pressing questions of the AI era: What makes human intelligence different? Fr. Kenny argues that real learning is embodied, relational, and formed through struggle — something no algorithm can simulate. He explains why universities are facing a hidden crisis of attention, why essays are becoming “AI-vulnerable,” and why he’s shifting his classroom toward oral exams, dialogue, and genuine intellectual formation. This conversation explores what education must protect in the age of AI and why the Church may be one of the last institutions capable of defending the artisanal, human pursuit of Truth. Together, they explore why human intelligence is fundamentally relational, how to combat the classroom “attention deficit,” and why the Church may be uniquely placed to defend education as the pursuit of Truth—not just the production of answers. Timestamps: 0:49 Education for Freedom vs. Utility18:05 The AI-Proof Classroom 21:53 Human vs. AI: 'Embodied' Knowledge23:32 Losing the "Artisanal Mind"44:37 The Church's Role in AI

    57 min
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About

For all those curious about the world of tomorrow and how to navigate the crucial choices presented by emerging technology, guided by the practical and timeless wisdom of the Catholic faith, join Benjamin Crockett on the Catholic Futurist Podcast.

Information

  • Creator
    Catholic Futurist
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    15
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Catholic Futurist
  • Show Website
    Catholic Futurist