In mid-February 2026, the New York Encounter—an annual cultural festival organized by the Catholic movement Communion and Liberation—became a focal point for the global debate on the intersection of faith and technology.
Under the 2026 theme, “Where Everything Is Waiting for You,” a headline panel titled “The Church and AI“ brought together industry veterans and theologians to address the “anthropological challenge” posed by generative models and algorithmic governance.
The Anthropological Challenge: Replace vs. Empower
The panel featured Louis Kim, a former Vice President at Hewlett Packard (HP) with expertise in Personal Systems and AI, and Paul Scherz, a Professor of Theology at the University of Notre Dame.
Human-to-Human Connection: Professor Scherz warned of a “relational tragedy” as society turns to AI for tasks that are intrinsically human. He specifically noted the rise of Catholic apps using bots for catechesis and ministry, arguing that the “I-Thou connection” described by philosopher Martin Buber is irreplaceable by any machine.
The “De-skilling” Risk: Scherz highlighted the danger of “moral de-skilling,” where humans—from doctors to laborers—become biased toward automated systems, eventually losing the virtue and patience required to make independent, empathetic judgments.
The Industry View: Louis Kim offered a more pragmatic lens, suggesting that while AI creates new paradigms, the focus must remain on “controlling AI” to serve the common good. He emphasized that the tools we build are often unconsciously based on current structures, and we must intentionally design them to avoid “toxic cultures” in the workplace.
Adapting Social Teaching for 2026
The discussion framed AI as the “new industrial revolution,” echoing the sentiments of Pope Leo XIV. The Pope, who recently marked the feast of St. Francis de Sales with a warning against “biochemical algorithms,” has called for a modern application of Rerum Novarum—the landmark 1891 encyclical on capital and labor.
Algorithmic Bias: Panelists discussed how the Church’s preferential option for the poor must now extend to those marginalized by “black box” algorithms in healthcare, banking, and social services.
Digital Labor: The experts highlighted a “hidden benefit” of AI: protecting human content moderators from disturbing material. Chuck Rossi, an engineer at Meta, joined the conversation to explain how AI now filters billions of pieces of harmful content, sparing humans from “horrible work” that historically caused significant psychological trauma.
