Can a Catholic AI trained on the Church’s documents help people encounter truth… or is conversation with a chatbot fundamentally disordered?

In this episode of The Faith & AI Project Podcast, Edmund Mitchell hosts a spirited (and surprisingly charitable) debate between Matthew Sanders (founder & CEO of Longbeard, the team behind Magisterium AI) and Dr. Marc Barnes (editor of New Polity).

The conversation started with a little bit of Catholic-internet drama: Marc published an essay titled “Delete Magisterium AI,” arguing that chatbot-style “conversation” is not a neutral interface—but a formative act that can subtly reshape how we relate to truth, authority, and even God.

Matthew responded publicly with his own article, pushing back on the critique and defending Magisterium AI as a tool meant to point people back to sources, not replace teachers, pastors, or the Church’s living authority.

Instead of letting the debate spiral into side-takes and subtweets, we invited both men onto the podcast to talk it out directly, thoughtfully, and in good faith.

If you’ve been wondering whether Catholics should delete tools like this… or learn how to build them…this conversation is for you.

This Episode is Sponsored by Pushpay

Every person in your parish community is on a journey. As a parish leader, you’re called to know where people are on that journey, and help them take their next step.

That’s why Pushpay is developing AI solutions that enable you to easily see who’s moving forward, know who might be stuck, and reach people before a moment for meaningful ministry is lost. Because when every soul comes into focus, ministry becomes more personal, and more impactful.

Discover what Pushpay’s AI solutions can do for your parish today at pushpay.com/innovation.

Learn more and access free resources at faithandaiproject.com.

Silicon Valley is increasingly comfortable talking about end-times, salvation, immortality, and even the apocalypse — often through the language of artificial intelligence and technological progress.

Why aren’t Catholics?

In this episode of The Faith & AI Project, Edmund Mitchell sits down with John Johnson for a deep and provocative conversation about AI, technocracy, and what’s really at stake beneath the hype. Together, they explore why AI isn’t just a technical or economic issue, but a profoundly theological one, raising urgent questions about human dignity, salvation, and what it means to be truly human.

From “counterfeit human personhood” to transhumanist promises of immortality, from Aquinas to the Book of Revelation, this conversation challenges Catholics to reclaim their own intellectual and spiritual tradition in a moment when the culture is asking apocalyptic questions without theological grounding.

This episode isn’t about fear. It’s about clarity. And it’s about why the Church has something essential to say right now.

00:00 — Counterfeit Human Personhood
04:12 — What Is Technocracy?
08:05 — AI as Salvation Story
12:48 — Machines Move Into Bodies
17:32 — Revelation Is Our Book
22:41 — Defining the Human Person
28:19 — Education vs Training
34:06 — Liberal Education and Hope

Learn more and access free resources at faithandaiproject.com.

In this conversation, Edmund sits down with Matthew Sanders, co-founder of Magisterium AI, to explore how Catholics can faithfully and intelligently engage emerging technologies. Matthew brings a refreshing perspective rooted in pastoral reality, human formation, and a deep trust in the Church’s mission.

They discuss why AI should not be evaluated in isolation, how good formation dictates good discernment, what Thomas Aquinas might do with ChatGPT at his elbow, and why Catholic leaders should look closely at the stated visions of today’s major AI companies. Matthew also explains how AI can serve as a “front porch to the Church” for seekers—and why the ultimate goal isn’t Catholic AI, but fully formed Catholics who no longer need it.

If you’ve wondered how AI fits into the journey toward human flourishing and sainthood, or what a “City of God in the robotics age” might look like, this episode offers clarity, challenge, and hope.

Matthew Sanders is the CEO of Longbeard, a digital technology and marketing agency, who is also behind Magisterium AI. He spent years in Rome and then Malta working with the Holy See and Pontifical Universities to help them more effectively leverage digital technologies to promote the faith. Longboard is also behind Vulgate, a project that utilizes several AI technologies to make library contents more accessible. Vulgate is currently powering a historic library digitization project with Pontifical universities in Rome.

Learn more and access free resources at faithandaiproject.com.

How do spiritual seekers use AI to take their next step toward God? In this conversation with Truthly’s cofounders Zac Johnson and Jacob Ciccarelli, we dig into what people are actually asking AI about faith, why “companionship” and “purpose” are exploding use cases, and how a Catholic tool can help that hunger by guiding people towards answers and connection with clarity and care. They share stories like late-night questions to an atheist now in OCIA, plus the design philosophy behind nudging users off the screen and back into real life. We also talk about formation beyond quick answers (think Duolingo for Catholicism), the ethics of trustworthy sources, and how to keep AI from becoming a counterfeit companion.

Learn more and access free resources at faithandaiproject.com.

In our season premiere, Edmund sits down with Letti Garcia, Director of the Leadership Initiative at Harvard Business School, to ask a big question: what does faithful, effective leadership look like in the age of AI? Letti shares a practical, hope-filled path—rooted in Ignatian discernment and the “be–know–do” model—for leaders who feel both curious and cautious. They discuss technical vs. adaptive challenges (Heifetz/Kegan/Lahey), the power of contextual intelligence (reading the times), how to avoid the Dunning–Kruger trap with feedback and small experiments, and why the Church needs real learning strategies—not just one-off trainings.

The takeaway: do not be afraid, become a learning leader, and build communities of practice so we can discern and deploy AI together.

Learn more and access free resources at faithandaiproject.com.