God-given intellect over AI

By Rohan Laltoo, 17

Holy Trinity RC Parish, Arouca

We are truly blessed as Catholics and as Christians, to have been given the Holy Spirit, a Spirit of knowledge and a Spirit of understanding. Yet, with the rapid rise of artificial intelligence, it sometimes seems as though we are no longer engaging our minds and intellect as we should. Instead of using the talents that God has given us, we risk taking them for granted.

Artificial intelligence (AI) seems to have become the thing that’s ‘in’ in our society, from AI advertisements along highways, to book covers, to videos imitating real people: you name it and AI can or has done it already.

As a result of this, many young people are beginning to overlook their own abilities in the name of efficiency. Institutions, workplaces, schools, and even many parishes in our beloved Mother Church have begun relying heavily on AI to complete tasks that require little to no human effort.

Recently, I visited a primary school, and a part of the administrative staff proudly spoke about the school’s growing dependence on AI, namely: using it to set exams, correct exams, and even plan lessons.

I smiled politely and nodded, but inwardly I could not shake that sense of ever-growing concern. I thought to myself, “Is this really how far we have come?” There is nothing wrong with utilising the resources technology has made available to us, but there is certainly a danger in overdoing it.

Artificial intelligence is its greatest form when it is utilised by those who already possess the knowledge, as a tool to enhance creativity and improve efficiency, not to replace the effort that forms our minds. Many of my own peers use AI to assist with School-Based Assessments (SBAs) and Internal Assessments (IAs), even when the information needed is right in front of them.

We know the Gospel reading from Matthew 5:13–16 where Christ tells us:

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house.”

In this reading, we are that lamp, our gifts, our intellect all make up our light, and the house which the lamp gives light to is this ever-darkening world. Today, more than ever before, our world needs us as lights to continue to spread God’s love. However, when we rely on AI unnecessarily, when we allow it to do the thinking and work that we are very capable of doing ourselves, we place our light “under a bushel basket.” We dim that light, rather than allowing it to shine as Papa God intended.

Human nature often leads us to overuse and exhaust resources because it’s convenient. In doing so, we risk falling into the temptation of sloth, allowing ease to replace effort.

Even Pope Leo XIV has reminded us that while AI is a product of human creativity, it must always be used with respect for human dignity. He has warned that technology should never diminish the human person. He has even cautioned that excessive reliance on AI could affect the intellectual, neurological, and spiritual development of young people, encouraging students not to allow AI to do their work for them.

Closer to home, Archbishop Charles Jason Gordon has recently called for greater regulation of social media use among young people, a call that I fully support. In many ways, a similar conversation is urgently needed about artificial intelligence as well.

To be clear, I am not opposed to the use of AI. Like many tools created through human ingenuity, it can be very useful when used responsibly. However, it is important that we approach it with wisdom and moderation, ensuring that we allow it only to assist our growth, rather than replacing it.

When we find ourselves struggling with a task, whether it be homework research, or a problem that requires patience, we might first pause and say Veni Sancte Spiritus: Come Holy Spirit, Come.

Call upon that fountain of Living Water and ask that you may be filled with understanding and wisdom that Papa God has already placed within each and every one of us. Try this instead of asking Gemini or ChatGPT; Technology may assist us, but the true source of knowledge, creativity and inspiration has always been and will always be, God.

And it is our sacred duty to remember that, so that our lights will never be hidden from the world but will shine brightly for all to see.