What's R Future Timothy Carone

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.

This WhatsRFuture podcast episode is the second season. In this podcast we discuss the topics of faith, science, and technology from a Catholic perspective. Joining me are Rich Bonomo, the head of the SCS-Wisconsin chapter and Kate Bulinski, a paleontologist and practicing Catholic, from Bellarmine University in Louisville, KY. In this podcast, we discuss the challenges of reconciling faith and science, particularly within the Catholic Church. Kate shares her experiences teaching a course on evolution and creationism, and her involvement with SCS. She highlights the importance of early catechesis in helping young people understand the compatibility of faith and science. Our discussion touches on the historical context of the perceived conflict between faith and science. We also discuss the challenges faced by the Catholic Church in addressing this issue, including inadequate catechesis, the influence of Protestant fundamentalism, and the prevalence of scientism in popular culture, especially the distasteful habit of conflating all Christian denominations into Protestant fundamentalism.
You can find more of Kate's work here:
Kate gave the keynote address after our recent Gold Mass in Louisville: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZnqnkdOTZA&t=1201s
Here are some essays Kate has written on topics that might be of interest:
Bulinski, K.V., “Correcting Misconceptions About Science and Faith in the Classroom” Invited contribution to the Vatican Observatory Sacred Space Astronomy Online Magazine, October 30, 2021 https://www.vaticanobservatory.org/sacred-space-astronomy/correcting-misconceptions-about-science-and-faith-in-the-classroom/
Bulinski, K.V. 2019 Evolution and Faith: Compatible and Complementary. The Record Newspaper, May 16th, 2019. Invited contribution as a part of the faith and science series from the Archdiocese of Louisville. https://therecordnewspaper.org/evolution-and-faith-compatible-and-complimentary/
Bulinski, K.V. 2019 A Time to Speak—A Wide-Angle View of Earth. The Record Newspaper, January 16th, 2019. Column published following invited contribution to the Vatican Observatory Sacred Space Astronomy Online Magazine from December, 2018. https://therecordnewspaper.org/a-time-to-speak-a-wide-angle-view-of-earth/
And a podcast:
Bulinski, K.V., July 31, 2020. “Science, Faith, and Deep Time: A Conversation with Geologist and Paleontologist Dr. Kate Bulinski. Earth and Spirit Podcast for the Passionist Earth and Spirit Center. https://anchor.fm/earthandspiritcenter/episodes/Science--Faith--and-Deep-Time-A-Conversation-with-Geologist-and-Paleontologist-Dr--Kate-Bulinski-ehaspl/a-a2q7qjf

This WhatsRFuture podcast episode is a bit different than the ones in the past. Rich Bonomo, the first person interviewed on the WhatsRFuture podcast interviews Tim Carone, the podcast host. Rich talks to Tim about Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) and how impactful AGI will be to the Church.
00:03:08 Introduction
00:8:45 Artificial Intelligence and AGI Intro
00:27:26 AGI Deep Dive
00:49:32 St. Augustine and "I Am a Strange Loop", a 2007 book by Douglas Hofstadter
00:57:50 Scientism, the After Life, and the Singularity
01:01:30 Do We Live in a Simulation?
01:07:30 AGI and The Challenge to the Church
01:27:50 AGI Relation to Faith and Reason

Today I interview Geoffrey Woollard who is at University of British Columbia (in Vancouver).  We go deep into structure of biological molecules and how he uses computation as a tool to understand causal process at the microscopic level.  We discuss his faith journey and then some interesting topics around faith and reason.

The podcast is an interview with Peter Copeland. Peter is a policy advisor to the Ontario Provincial government and a philosopher of science.  Peter works as a writer and contributor to Catholic Conscience.  He has developed the Philosophy of Science Series that addresses some of the perennial themes in the philosophy of science in their contemporary guise. We discuss his ideas and papers, intelligence, and other cultural topics.  We also cover an alternative to the Turing Test which I call the Tommy Lasorda Test for Artificial General Intelligence.
00:02:45 Introduction
00:17:20 Catholic Conscience
00:36:05 Methodological Assumptions and Challenges, Quantifying qualities, and values in science
01:06:25 Science and Metaphysics
01:10:00 Intelligence and the Tommy Lasorda Test for Artificial General Intelligence
01:29:30 Faith and Reason
01:38:20 Catholic Journey
01:48:55 Science and Public Policy
EPISODE LINKS:
Peter Copeland at Catholic Conscience: https://pcopelanwrites.com/tag/catholic-conscience/
Catholic Conscience: https://catholicconscience.org/