This Morning Air episode with John Morales and guest Mark Mastroianni takes a thoughtful look at how Catholics can navigate the rise of artificial intelligence with peace, purpose, and discernment. As AI becomes more embedded in every corner of modern life—from healthcare and education to smartphones and search engines—the real question isn’t just whether AI can answer our questions. It’s whether it can truly serve the human person and elevate the soul.
John opened with an observation most of us can relate to: AI is everywhere. But is it holy? Or is it just another flashy gimmick capturing our time and attention while drawing us further away from meaningful human connection?
Enter Pope Leo XIV. As Mark pointed out, just as Pope Leo XIII helped guide the Church through the upheaval of the Industrial Revolution, Pope Leo XIV has stepped into the papacy during the Digital Revolution. His choice of the name “Leo” was no accident. He wanted to signal that technology, like any tool, must be used wisely and never at the expense of human dignity. “Technology is a tool,” the pope reminds us, “not a replacement for the beauty and infinite worth of the human soul.”
A central concern for Pope Leo is the impact AI is having on children and young adults. The conversation highlights the ways that algorithms—far from being neutral—are designed to be addictive. They don’t just influence what young people watch or read; they shape how they think, how they build relationships, and how they see themselves and others. John and Mark both warn that the pull of constant screen time is real, but so is the pushback. Across the country, more parents and educators are choosing to limit screen exposure and promote real-life wonder and discovery.
One shining example of tech discernment comes from none other than Blessed Carlo Acutis, a millennial on his way to sainthood. Carlo loved technology and even built a website cataloging Eucharistic miracles, but he always kept Christ at the center of his digital life. His life sends a clear message: step away from the screen, pursue holiness, and engage with the real world. As John and Mark note, Carlo’s witness is exactly what today’s youth—and their parents—need to see.
Mark also emphasized a point that Pope Leo has made repeatedly: artificial intelligence can imitate intelligence, but it cannot replicate holiness, wisdom, or human love. Real transformation doesn’t come from algorithms. It comes from face-to-face encounters and personal conversations. AI might help us do our jobs faster, but it can’t teach us how to be human. In fact, it may challenge us to reclaim our humanness even more deliberately.
In closing, John and Mark offered some simple but powerful suggestions: talk about AI with your family, set boundaries on tech use, especially for children, and stay rooted in what truly matters: Scripture, the sacraments, real friendships, and Christ. The Church, after all, is not built on code.
In a world increasingly shaped by machines, Pope Leo XIV calls us to be more human, not less. And that starts with remembering that we’re not just data. We’re souls.