ITEST Webinar Bioethics & AI As Human Flourishing: Where Catholic & Orthodox Social Teaching Meet In One Christian Social Ethos Jun 14, 2025 I Thought You'd Like To Know This, Too podcast

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ITEST Webinar Bioethics & AI as Human Flourishing: Where Catholic & Orthodox Social Teaching meet in One Christian Social Ethos Jun 14, 2025

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In this episode of I Thought You'd Like to Know This, Too, ITEST presents a webinarentitled "Bioethics & AI as Human Flourishing: Where Catholic & Orthodox Social Teaching meet in One Christian Social Ethos" (June 14, 2025)
Dr. Constantine Psimopoulos
BIOETHICS AND AI AS HUMAN FLOURISHING: WHERE CATHOLICS AND ORTHODOX MEET IN ONE CHRISTIAN SOCIAL ETHOS
Constantine Psimopoulos is a Professor (Adj.) of Bioethics at Hellenic College Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, teaching Christian Ethics and Social Ministries and is on the faculty at Harvard’s Initiative on Health, Spirituality and Religion, of which he is also Senior Program Administrator, and the Human Flourishing program. He has another Academic research appointment in Global Health and Social Medicine and the Center for Bioethics at Harvard Medical School. At Harvard, he co-teaches the course Religion and Public Health and a new required module taught to all MD/PhD students. Constantine serves as the Director of the Division of Bioethics of the Orthodox Academy of Crete (Ecumenical Patriarchate), and as an Invited Member to the Inaugural National Committee on AI – Artificial Intelligence (and Theology) of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.
Abstract
This presentation draws a comparison between Catholic social teaching and the Social ethos of the Orthodox church. Both traditions have some parallels in the way they approach AI, from a bioethical perspective that addresses social justice. The document ‘For the Life of the World’ (F.L.O.W.) of our Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, emphasizes that science and technology are a wonderful product of a God-given human creativity, and that “the desire for scientific knowledge flows from the same wellspring as faith’s longing to enter ever more deeply into the mystery of God.” It is an imperative to use AI for Human Flourishing. From a Christian bioethical lens, science and technology, and in particular Artificial Intelligence (AI), can serve as one concrete example of how this can be addressed.
Fr. Michael Baggot, LC
Programming with Purpose: Guiding AI through Catholic Social Teaching
Fr. Michael Baggot is Legionary of Christ, an Associate Professor of Bioethics at the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum, and an Invited Professor of Theology at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (the Angelicum) and the Catholic Institute of Technology (CatholicTech). He also serves as a professor for the Joint Diploma in Leadership: Service through Virtues and the Catholic Worldview Fellowship summer program. In addition, Fr. Michael is a Research Scholar at the UNESCO Chair in Bioethics and Human Rights and a member of the Scholarly Advisory Board for Magisterium AI. He is also a fellow of the Fr. James L. Heft, SM Generations in Dialogue program at the Institute for Advanced Catholic Studies at the University of Southern California.
Abstract
As an expert in humanity, the Catholic Church is deeply interested in the AI technologies that are shaping family life, education, medicine, religious practice, and other key aspects of social life. The presentation draws on the social doctrine of the Catholic Church to highlight the virtues and social structures most conducive to using AI tools to promote human flourishing. It gives special attention to the influence of AI companion systems on the loneliness epidemic and the quest for social connections. The conference also examines the significance of ecumenical dialogue, interreligious dialogue, and dialogue with secular traditions in addressing the perennial philosophical questions that emerging technologies raise.
Bioethics and AI as Human Flourishing: Where Catholic and Orthodox Social Teaching meet in One Christian Social Ethos - Institute for Theological Encounter with Science and Technology

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