Good Vibes, Good News, Good Future

In Joseph Cardinal Cardijn's life and work, those inspired by his mission and message understood that the followers of Jesus had "Good Vibes" about doing what was suitable for people.  His good vibes attracted good lives for many working people.

Our work, guided by the message of Jesus as the "Good News," always employs the See-Judge-Act method. This structured approach allows us to focus on the future for Humanity and how we can create "The Good Future." In a world of emerging technology, especially AI, we find a blend of futurism with humanism, algorithms with machines, and science with more extraordinary imagination than we grew up with. Religion is in search of its purpose in the world today, and we must approach this future with a balanced perspective, understanding the potential benefits and risks of our technological advancements.

Regarding AI, as I have been saying, ships have sailed. The future is already here – we just haven't paid enough attention.  All too often, we are too busy living our lives to get by, make ends meet, and find ways to move forward. In our lives, we face challenges in trying to understand life's meaning. Why we are in the situations we find ourselves in– and we all too often create our fears, doom, and gloom. For countless Christians and religious organizations around the globe, the solution to this challenge is to call upon the meaning of Catholic Social Teaching. Religion is about how we as an organization practice what Jesus asked us to do to bring about the kingdom of heaven. The Kingdom of Heaven is not a destination point but a way of life.  Technology vs. Humanity is not the issue; Jesus reminds us of what is at stake as we live in a world run by an empire and those who desire greed, power, and entitlement. The difference is understanding we are not becoming part of the empire but leveraging what the empire pro The Good News, the message of the gospel woven as a seamless garment we call Catholic Social Teaching, is a constant reminder that if we use the See-Judge-Act method, we can move beyond the outdated focus on greed, power, and entitlement we find in the world and move closer to the message which focuses on People, Planet, Meaning of life, and Prosperity for the greater good of all.

AI is a General-Purpose Technology and the subsequent 'platform for everything.’' This includes religion. Now, think about how the early followers of Jesus in the first century used the technology of the day to leverage the collective mission of the teachings of Jesus. Technology is not a choice between heaven or hell; IT's OUR CHOICE to use technology to bring about the Kingdom of Heaven here and now.

Is AI the next chapter in the evolution of Catholic Social Teachings, and does it bring a new era for Humanity? Will our efforts as followers of Jesus grasp the core foundations of our Catholic Social Teachings and understand how to weave in Artificial Intelligence, deep learning, the various tools of ChatGPT, and other models? This tool can produce unique opportunities for us to spread the message and teachings of the Good News, as well as sound-based texts with very human-like qualities that assist us in our teachings. The world is on board, and many are excited about Generative Artificial Intelligence. Pope Francis grasped what this means, and we need to use the See-Judge-Act Method to discover how we can use the technology to create content, etc., to leverage our work. The potential of AI to enhance our mission is immense, and it fills us with hope for the future.  

When Joseph Cardijn lived and worked, the world's population was 1,791,496,000. Today, it is 8,118,835,999, and it is still growing. Technology can help us reach a growing world. Generative AIs like ChatGPT, Sora, and Gemini, with their ability to generate human-like text and responses, seem poised to transform the web and our society, including how we engage with and practice religion. 

Is General Intelligence next for religion? For Catholic Social Teaching? In our work, we must be the first to present those tricky questions about ethics and technology, how it is being used, and in whose hands responsibility, control, and accountability are placed. We need to be able to answer those questions, create new questions, and think through answers that will drive the greater good for the common good. It's our responsibility to ensure that AI is used ethically and for the betterment of all.

It is now time for us to re-focus on the greater good, which includes asking about our society's ethical and social implications and the use of technology. We must consider all emerging technologies through the lens of our Catholic Social Teachings, the Gospels, and the tradition of those who followed the Good News in their lives. Each one of us has a crucial role to play in shaping the ethical use of technology in our society.