The internet, a vast and indispensable resource for modern society, has a darker side where malicious activities thrive. From identity theft to sophisticated malware attacks, cyber criminals keep coming up with new scam methods. Widely-available generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools have now added a new layer of complexity to the cybersecurity landscape. Staying on top Read more
It’s alarming to see the prevalence of fake and culturally insensitive images of Jesus on social media. Many of the AI photos draw in streams of users commenting “Amen” on bizarre Jesus images, praising the impressive work of nonexistent artists or wishing happy birthday to fake children sitting pitifully in mud. Intricate artistic renditions of Read more
“How would you feel about Daddy and me turning into ghostbots?” I asked this peculiar question to my two children after reading about “grief tech,” the latest wonder child of artificial intelligence that allows the living to remain digitally connected to the dead through “ghostbots.” I explained to our children that they could feed our Read more
It took a little more than a day for Father Justin, an artificial intelligence (AI) avatar posing as a priest, to be defrocked. Defrocking Justin After Catholic Answers, a site devoted to evangelising for Catholicism, introduced the character to answer questions about the faith, Catholics on social media called the character a “scandalising mockery of Read more
It seems that the wedding industry has found a new attraction to add to its repertoire, moving beyond traditional offerings of photo booths, monogrammed dance floors, and dove releases. The new attraction is called Party Robot, an imposing eight-foot-tall humanoid machine, that pumps its metallic fists to the beat of thumping electronic music, flanked by Read more
Imagine this: a novel virus is rapidly breaking out nationwide, resulting in an epidemic. The government introduces vaccination mandates and a choice of different vaccines is available. But not everyone is getting the same vaccine. When you sign up for vaccination, you are sent a vial with instructions to send a sample of your saliva Read more
Fr Alban McCoy OFMConv. is contesting the notion that AI could replace priests. McCoy, an editorial consultant at The Tablet, says the depth of the priestly role is beyond mere preaching. “To say that AI will replace priests suggests a very truncated, post-reformation and secularist view of what priests are and what they’re for, implying Read more
The Holy See’s foreign minister addressed the UN General Assembly, calling for a halt to the deployment of lethal autonomous weapons systems. Archbishop Paul Gallagher joined a chorus of concerns raised by various speakers regarding artificial intelligence (AI). “It is imperative to ensure adequate, meaningful and consistent human oversight of weapon systems,” Gallagher said. “Only Read more
In a significant move, the NZ Catholic bishops are promoting open and informed life discussion through a modernised and broadened document, Te Kahu o te Ora – A Consistent Ethic of Life. The modernisation seeks to fill a twenty-six-year gap and reflect some of the modern challenges. Dr John Kleinsman, director of the NZ Catholic Read more
A couple of months ago, I was at a dinner party with a professor of one of the hard sciences at Cambridge. The talk turned to AI, and he told us the following story. He had asked ChatGPT to write one of the essays that he sets his students. The result, he said, was a Read more