Episode Overview

Given the recent excitement and "sudden" interest in the intersection of Faith and AI, driven by the Pope's Encyclical to be released tomorrow, our own CTO Frank Connelly releases this episode - revealing that a small group of civic technology developers have been developing human centered AI that counters the Big Tech narrative - instead envisioning a future or work and society that uses effective acceleration (e/acc) of morally guided AI (and open source development) that is designed to help support humanity and our endeavors the way God intended - a completely different version of the future that embeds Catholic Social Teachings not as guardrails but actual infrastructure to how this amazing technology has been supporting hard to reach communities since 2011. Yes, that's not a typo - over a decade. We are thrilled that Pope Leo is surfacing our work. Welcome to the future we want and how Christ's social teaching will save us all, regardless of faith.Click here to view the episode transcript.

• Host: Frank Connelly, Chief Technology Officer at Sunday to Sunday Productions and co-founder of two media tech AI companies.
• Theme: Exploring the intersection of faith, work, and the moral implications of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
• Core Message: AI should be designed to empower and build capability around humans ("human in the middle"), rather than just keeping a "human in the loop" as a tangential component.

Key Discussion Points

• The Vatican's Stance: Discussion of the theological treatise Quo Vadis Humanitas, which addresses moral questions raised by AI, transhumanism, and the future of humanity.
• Techno-feudalism: A warning against an emerging digital economy where a small number of tech firms act as "feudal landlords," controlling the data and platforms everyone else must use.
• The Role of Catholic Social Teachings: The host argues that these teachings provide a necessary morality engine for technology, emphasizing that the economy exists to serve the human person.
• Dignity of Work: Work is presented as a God-given vocation and a primary way for humans to participate in creation and exercise dignity.
• Human-Centered AI: A call for businesses to take the lead in implementing AI that enhances human creativity and supports meaningful participation rather than just seeking algorithmic optimization and efficiency.

Featured Resources Mentioned

Frank's Articles about Faith + Tech on His Medium Channel Hero One Eleven

The Mystery of Faith

Frank's Articles about Faith + Tech on Substack

Big Tech Becomes Feudal Lord

Other Resource Materials Mentioned

• Treatise: Quo Vadis Humanitas by the International Theological Commission.
• Encyclical: Laborem Exercens by Pope John Paul II.
• Articles: "Techno-feudalism" by economist Yanis Varoufakis.
• Corporate Programs: HeroBridge and Hero 111, frameworks focused on wrapping technology around the individual.

Sponsor Information

• Sunday to Sunday Productions: A media ministry founded by Father Mike Russo, dedicated to supporting Catholic digital missionaries, artists, and podcasters.
• Contact: [email protected]