Should we?

Apparently, Catholic Answers (the online source for Catholic apologetics that does not always give the actual Catholic answer!), tried to use a computer generated artificial intelligence priest to answer questions. It got such a severe reaction from people that it was cancelled shortly after it began. Good.

It still shocks me how indulgent people can be (even Catholics) about technological newness. It seems as soon as something gets invented someone wants to use it for the work of the Kingdom. It is remarkable how well the gospel spread before modern tech came along! This is not to say that every new technological advancement is evil. Rather it is to say that we all should learn to be a bit more wary of things. Yes, technology is amazing at times, and it is genuinely evil at other times.

The real question is not, "how can we use it?" (which was the question so many asked as soon as oral contraceptives were invented). The real question should be, "is it right?" This is the properly cautious response. It may not even be an issue of morally right, but rather an issue of whether it is wise to do. Just because we can, does not mean we should.