Artificial Intelligence is everywhere. It’s in the news, in homes, in workplaces, and in boardrooms. Some hail it as revolutionary. Others fear it will replace entire professions. But on The Drew Mariani Show, Dr. Saverio Perugini offers a calmer, clearer perspective.
“There’s a massive gap between AI promises and AI reality,” he explains. Even defining AI isn’t simple. One helpful description, he says, is this:
“AI is the study of trying to make computers do things which at the moment people do better.”
If a machine performs a task better than humans, like processing millions of credit card transactions per minute, it’s no longer considered AI. It’s just computing. AI refers to efforts to imitate human abilities such as driving or language use.
And despite the name, Dr. Perugini offers a striking clarification:
“The artificial is real. The intelligence in it is not.”
AI systems simulate intelligence; they do not possess understanding, reason, or moral judgment.
What about jobs? Many worry that AI will eliminate careers, especially in white-collar fields. Dr. Perugini cautions against alarm. Technological change has always disrupted industries in the short term. He notes that even advanced systems today still “hallucinate all the time,” making serious errors. That reality alone suggests we are far from replacing entire professions.
At present, “narrow AI” works best in niche areas involving repeatable tasks with low risk of failure, such as warehouse automation or routine paperwork. Sweeping claims about long-term economic transformation remain uncertain.
From a Catholic perspective, technology is a tool, neither a savior nor a threat to human dignity. Our worth does not depend on outperforming machines. We are created in the image and likeness of God.
No program can love. No algorithm can bear moral responsibility. No machine has a soul.
The real question is not whether computers will become like us, but whether we will use them wisely, guided by truth, prudence, and respect for the dignity of the human person.
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