Using AI in Accord with One’s Human Dignity
“Antiqua et Nova” is a Vatican document written by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of Faith and the Dicastery for Culture and Education, which came out on Jan. 28, 2025.. In short, the document expresses concerns with the handling of artificial intelligence.
Like any other tool, AI is something which can be used for good or ill in various aspects of life. A distinction which is referenced time and again throughout the article is the difference between intelligence and knowledge.
AI lacks the reason and intellect that are fundamental to the human person and his inherent value as a child of God. This document is divided into sections which are concerned with defining the ambiguous terms associated with AI and humanity and noting potential moral and physical dangers within various societal circles.
What is AI? The general answer given within the text is: “complex systems capable of performing highly sophisticated tasks.” Artificial intelligence is able to produce appropriate responses to a variety of questions and to analyze sets of data which humans put into its systems.
Many people think about AI as a brain outside of oneself which is able to problem-solve faster than they could ever hope to themselves. The danger with looking at AI in this way is that people tend to forget the intellectual dignity of a person, that “the intellectual faculties of the human person are an integral part of an anthropology that recognizes that the human person is a ‘unity of body and soul.’”
Humanity is called to use its intellect and will to pursue truth, goodness and beauty through relationships with other people. Humanity is also called to genuine creativity, but neither intellect nor creativity can be overshadowed in the name of efficiency.
The document states, “In light of this AI should not be seen as an artificial form of human intelligence but as a product of it.”
Personally, this distinction has been in my mind for quite some time, and the articulation of the inherent intellectual dignity of man is something I feel that everyone should seek to understand. Our ability to use our brains and intellect to come up with questions and answers to the world around us is quite astonishing and spectacular. Just as the old philosophers sought for it, we too can and are capable of contemplating and pursuing wisdom.
After providing the general framework of the document and stressing the difference between artificial intelligence and human knowledge, the writers continue by talking about the particular roles of AI within human relationships, economy, education and other aspects of human life.
Human beings are meant to be in relation to others, not isolated. The introduction and increasing use of AI and social media is leading to more loneliness than ever, as people turn to technology in search of deep and meaningful relationships.
In the economic sphere, the fear is that, “If AI is used to replace human workers rather than complement them, there is a substantial risk for the disproportionate benefit for the few at the price of the impoverishment of many.”
The document states“True education strives to form individuals with a view toward their final end and the good of the society to which they belong.” Thus one should take caution, as excessive reliance on AI could detract from this overall goal and worsen one’s dependence on it, making one ever more anxious for this continuous reliance.
To put it simply, “Antiqua et Nova” is “emphasizing the need for growth in human responsibility, values, and conscience,” and a recognition that, “with an increase in human power comes a broadening of responsibility on the part of individuals and communities.”
People should consider the Vatican’s appeal to use AI as the tool it was meant to be, and not to cover up the voids in their own lives. AI has the potential to stop man from discovering what truly great things he is capable of with his God-given gifts.
This is a reality which must not materialize. Who wants to live in a world where man has completely forgotten who and what he is? Nobody.
Man is made in the image and likeness of God, bestowed with the gifts of the intellect and will, made for human relationships and seen as a child of God. When one remembers this, there is hope that tools like AI can be used for good.
Victoria Watson is a sophomore history major.