Human dignity and the digital explosion

Think for just a moment about the pace at which digital technology has grown over the past 20 years. Saying "fast" would be a bit of an understatement. Most of the time, the expansion and innovations of the digital culture leave our heads spinning. Now, with generative artificial intelligence, or AI, there's more digital power in our hands than ever before.

What is a person of faith to do before the enormity of AI and all the other digital technologies we have in our hands? Trust in God and make sure to keep the human person at the center for all our digital interactions.

Here's five things to keep in mind as we navigate the digital ocean in which we all swim, trying our best to stay faithful to God's plan.

1. Don't be afraid of new technologies.

St. John Paul II's last official document, "The Rapid Development," was all about the media and its growing power in our world. Here's what he said, "Do not be afraid of new technologies! These rank among the marvelous things which God has placed at our disposal to discover, to use and to make known the truth, also the truth about our dignity and about our destiny as his children, heirs of his eternal Kingdom."

Technology has come a long way since St. John Paul II wrote these words, but their applicability remains true. Do not be afraid of AI, of social media, of whatever the digital world throws our way. God has placed them at our disposal to use to proclaim his kingdom.

2. Human dignity should stay at the center.

The church has already given us a way to make sure that we remain the masters of technology and that it doesn't master us: Catholic social teaching. If we make a conscious effort to live the seven themes of this teaching as we engage with others through digital means, then making sure the dignity of the human person is respected will be the outcome.

Catholic social teaching asks us to keep in mind: 1. The rights and responsibilities of all; 2. The dignity of the human person; 3. Care for the poor; 4. Family and community; 5. The dignity and rights of workers; 6. Solidarity; 7. Care for God's creation.

Pope Francis, in the 2024 World Day of Peace message says, "Fundamental respect for human dignity demands that we refuse to allow the uniqueness of the person to be identified with a set of data. Algorithms must not be allowed to determine how we understand human rights, to set aside the essential human values of compassion, mercy, and forgiveness, or to eliminate the possibility of an individual changing and leaving his or her past behind."

The February 2020 "Rome Call for AI Ethics," which has been signed by IBM, Microsoft, the Italian government and many religious leaders, has introduced the term "algorethics" and gives principles for ensuring that AI systems remain focused on the common good of all people.

3. Practice digital authenticity.

As much as we might think that it's only teenagers that need to lay off their devices at times, we adults could always use that reminder, too. Modeling good digital behavior is so important, especially for parents. Being digitally authentic means being true to your values as a follower of Jesus, even when choosing and interacting with technology in all its forms.

To practice authenticity and integrity in the digital realm takes effort. We need discipline and balance in our digital lives. If our digital life is out of balance, other relationships will be as well -- including our relationship with God. We need to take responsibility for the way in which we use digital technology. Bringing the Holy Spirit into our decisions via prayerful discernment will surely give us a leg up in this regard. And don't forget silence, that seemingly elusive state which is necessary to find and encourage so we have the head and heart space to listen to God's promptings in our lives.

4. It's OK to be imperfect.

As much as we might love the phrase "nobody's perfect," imperfection is something that our society doesn't tolerate well. In the employment world, if you don't do your job perfectly, you get fired. The rise of AI means that jobs can be done faster and more accurately than people can do them. How can we influence society to have a better attitude toward imperfection? By embracing our own imperfections and being patient with those of others. After all, if we were perfect, we wouldn't need Jesus to save us.

In the same World Day of Peace message quoted above, Pope Francis said, "Human beings are, by definition, mortal; by proposing to overcome every limit through technology, in an obsessive desire to control everything, we risk losing control over ourselves. ... Recognizing and accepting our limits as creatures is an indispensable condition for reaching, or better, welcoming fulfillment as a gift."

5. Call on God's wisdom.

As we are faced daily with the digital explosion and the consequences of being immersed in a digital culture, we need to acknowledge the fact that we don't have all the answers, as much as we might like to think we do. We need the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the Spirit's gift of wisdom in order to make sure that the human person remains as the focus of all our digital and technological interactions.

In the 2024 World Communications Day Message, Pope Francis insists that people call on God's wisdom when designing or working with AI and digital technology. He says, "Wisdom, a gift of the Holy Spirit, enables us to look at things with God's eyes, to see connections, situations, events and to uncover their real meaning ... Such wisdom cannot be sought from machines ... No doubt, machines possess a limitlessly greater capacity than human beings for storing and correlating data, but human beings alone are capable of making sense of that data."

So, next time you feel like pitching your (or your teen's) digital devices off a bridge into the rushing waters below, make a commitment to keep the human person at the center of all your digital interactions, embrace your imperfections, and let St. John Paul II remind you: do not be afraid.