AI for Catholics? 3 options

We at Aleteia feel a certain hesitation in even presenting this article to you, given our real misgivings about growing dependence on artificial intelligence. 

Our sympathies lie with the many people who have spoken out against dangers — from Pope Leo, whose first encyclical warned that AI has the potential to be “a new Tower of Babel” and called for its "disarmament," to Anthropic co-founder Chris Olah, who spoke at the encyclical's presentation and called for greater discernment so that AI will support human flourishing. An excellent summary of the problems with using it, even casually, can be found here from Catholic writer Emily Stimpson Chapman.

Along with these and many others, we add our voices to the chorus crying out for a more human world, rooted in authentic relationships and the truth of the Gospel. We are concerned about findings that AI makes us depressed, anxious, and dumber — not to mention that it ravages the planet.

At the same time, the reality is that more and more people are using AI. Many find it a valuable time-saving resource, and some are even required to use it for work (although, after the Pope’s encyclical, Catholics may have justification to get a religious exemption from using it). And even those of us who have serious concerns still find it a helpful tool for occasional use.

Given that so many people are using AI, we thought it might be helpful for you to know that there are AI platforms specifically based on a Catholic worldview. If you use AI, you might prefer to use one of these models. 

But first, there are some critical things to keep in mind.

When using AI, keep in mind two things:

A BBC study found that AI systems misrepresent news content almost half of the time — a staggering number.

AI will tell you what it thinks you want to hear, rather than the truth. The chatbots are overly agreeable when giving advice, affirming behavior even when it’s harmful or illegal.

If you use AI, keep in mind that it can never be trusted fully, whether on matters of doctrine, morality, or even basic facts. Everything it tells you has to be verified elsewhere. (Catholic AI platforms source their information from official Church documents that you can fact check to confirm that AI presented them accurately.) 

Our position is that giving AI a Catholic slant does not outweigh the serious negative impacts that AI use has for humanity and the planet.

Given those disclaimers, here are three AI platforms that are trained to be rooted in Catholic tradition.

Calling itself the “World's #1 answer engine for the Catholic Church,” this platform pulls information from an extensive library of over 29,000 Catholic texts, including papal encyclicals, canon law, and the writings of the Church Fathers. It is designed to align its content with Catholic doctrine.

Like Magisterium AI, this AI system is designed to provide answers that align with Catholic Tradition, the Magisterium, and Scripture:

Designed to help users grow in their faith, Truthly offers a Mass finder, structured courses, Bible studies, and more.

Named after St. Carlo Acutis, this AI platform is designed for youth, offering Catholic moral advice with robust, customizable parental controls and time limits.

Designed by college-aged brothers Peter and Thomas Cooney, Acutis AI has a scope that goes beyond educating users about Catholic teachings. Peter Cooney told Aleteia, “We want Acutis to be the platform that completely replaces ChatGPT, Gemini, or any mainstream AI for Catholic families, not just for Catholic questions but for everyday use.”