Whether you’re an avid ChatGPT user or wary of artificial intelligence, there’s no denying that AI has thrust itself into the cultural spotlight. Much about it remains a technological mystery, fueling fears of job loss and the decline of intellectualism.
Rev. Philip Larrey, a Catholic priest and professor in the Lynch School of Education and Human Development, aims to quell these fears.
“We have to learn how we use it as part of God’s plan, which means for the benefit of humanity and not for the detriment of humanity,” Larrey said.
Larrey’s work centers around the development of artificial intelligence and education— seen through the unique lens of a Catholic perspective.
His interest in AI dates back to the 1990s, when he was living in Silicon Valley during Google’s early days. Drawing from epistemology, the philosophy of knowledge, Larrey sought to explore how AI could be harnessed to benefit humanity.
Years later, after being ordained a priest in Rome and receiving his PhD in philosophy from the Pontifical Gregorian University, Larrey has witnessed the changes he once wondered about become a reality.
“You look at almost any sector of society and it’s being touched by artificial intelligence, which I think is beneficial,” Larrey said.
Still, Larrey wants to continue to spark conversations about how to utilize AI in a positive, ethical way.
One major way he has done this is by founding and serving as chairman of the non-profit organization Humanity 2.0, which focuses on identifying impediments to human flourishing and investing in a solution.
Larrey’s definition of human flourishing is broad and expansive.
“What helps people thrive … what allows people to really become what they want to and fulfill their potential.” Larrey said. “It’s kind of a new idea, but it’s a way of measuring the wealth of a nation.”
With Humanity 2.0, Larrey set his sights high. According to Larrey, its major goals include developing new infrastructure, advancing education access, and promoting environmental justice.
Humanity 2.0 works in collaboration with the Vatican to enact change. Larrey helps organize a forum that brings leaders together to discuss goals surrounding human flourishing.
Rev. Michael Baggot, a bioethics professor at the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum and chair in bioethics and human rights for UNESCO, is grateful for the work Larrey has done for the organization.
“Father Larrey has managed to bring together a really impressive network of experts in different fields who care about human flourishing,” Baggot said. “This kind of constructive dialogue and collaboration is essential for these AI issues since we see AI affecting practically all aspects of our life.”
The event was a success in Larrey’s eyes as well.
“It was amazing,” Larrey said. “There were a lot of brilliant people there and I think we [have] some of the best minds in the church regarding artificial intelligence … as a Catholic priest, it’s great to be a part of that.”
Baggot views the impact of AI as nearly universal.
“Whether that’s education or health care, or family life, or warfare, or the environment, I think that having a broad dialogue that’s united around human flourishing and human wellbeing is absolutely essential for us to go forward,” Baggot said.
Another collaborator Larrey works with is Matthew Harvey Sanders, founder of Longbeard AI. Sanders founded Magisterium AI, an educational platform designed to provide relevant and accurate information about the Catholic church.
When he founded Longbeard AI, Sanders considered the many implications his AI could have.
Users of ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, and other popular AI models sometimes receive false or misleading information, based on incorrect assumptions and biased data. Sanders explored methods to minimize these misleading answers—known as hallucinations—in his model.
“Could we find ways to prevent hallucinations?” Sanders said. “Could we find ways to be more transparent about where the generations are being derived from?”
To tackle these concerns, Sanders’ model draws on a repertoire of 5,700 official Church documents, aiming to establish a transparent and reliable knowledge base.
Sanders’ model garnered attention on social media and received praise from bishops, priests, and other religious figures.
“We launched that in July 2023 as a pilot project and it kind of went viral,” Sanders said. “And then we decided as a company to pivot 100 percent of the company’s capacity on development of Catholic AI.”
Despite his hope for AI’s potential to be used for good, Larrey still has his hesitations.
“A powerful AI in the hands of the wrong person could be very, very destructive,” Larrey said. “I don’t think, and many people in the sector in the industry say, that an AI would probably not destroy us on its own, but it would be instigated to do so by a malevolent actor.”
Larrey highlighted the circulation of AI-generated images, such as the 2023 fake photos of Pope Francis wearing a puffer coat, as an example of his reservations. While he believes these images may not be inherently harmful, he expressed concern about what they represent and the potential harm AI could cause.
After the images went viral, Pope Francis weighed in on the situation. Larrey heeded and echoed his message.
“Please be careful, please be prudent, understand that this is not a game, this is a person’s life, it’s reality,” Larrey said. “I think we just need to increase our awareness of the fact that fake images and videos are out there and we need to combat that in some way.”
Despite the potential concerns, Larrey and his colleagues remain hopeful for the future of AI.
“’I’m also really excited, especially as an educator, as a university professor, with the possibilities that we already have to research more easily—and more deeply— the tremendous richness of the Catholic tradition and of the patrimony of knowledge from around the world,” Baggot said.
Beyond the Catholic tradition, AI also has the ability to synthesize information from places all around the world, according to Baggot.
“The ability that we already have with AI systems to study, analyze and incorporate the wisdom of libraries from around the world is spectacular and is really beneficial,” Baggot said.
Larrey said BC students should familiarize themselves with AI and learn how to stay ahead of it in the job market.
“What you have to do is prepare yourselves to be in a room with an AI,” Larrey said. “Prove that you’re better, prove that you’re smarter, prove that you have something that an AI doesn’t and you won’t be able to do that if you’re constantly using Chat GPT.”
Larrey believes there are ways to use AI in a way that supplements—rather than replaces—human thought.
“I’m not against GPT, I’m not against AI,” Larrey said. “We encourage people to use it, but use it in an intelligent way … not substituting it for your own richness, your own insights, your own growth, because you’re gonna need that in the future.”
Larrey believes students need to learn how to utilize AI effectively and responsibly—after all, it won’t be going away anytime soon.
“As a priest, I think I tend to be hopeful and optimistic,” Larrey said. “I think we’re going to work it out. Because there’s a lot of really smart people out there that are in charge of this. These are just getting better and better. And the more you know about it, the better off you’re gonna be.”
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