The human mind is not just some engine of calculation or comprehension. While intelligence — the capacity to intellegere — is often celebrated as the pinnacle of human ability, it is only one facet of our mental faculties. The Latin word intellegere derives from inter (between) and legere (to choose or discern), pointing at the mind’s ability to “read between” and solve situations by identifying patterns and drawing conclusions.
Yet making sense of the world — adding meaning to it — is a different and deeper capacity. It arises not from analytical reasoning but from, let’s say, intuition, a more expansive “function” of the mind that transcends problem-solving to touch the core of human experience.
Intelligence and thinking: A necessary distinction
To understand is to process the world logically. It is what allows us to read instructions, solve equations, or discern patterns. Intelligence, in this sense, is a tool — a powerful one — but limited in scope. It is driven by questions like “How does this work?” or “What should be done?” It answers problems, guides decisions, and serves the goals of human flourishing.
Thinking, by contrast, transcends such utilitarian confines. It is not bound to immediate outcomes but moves freely through abstract, aesthetic, and spiritual realms. To think is to dwell on the beauty of a sunset, to ponder the meaning of life, or to contemplate the infinite. Thinking dares to ask “Why?” and remains content to linger in the question itself, valuing the journey over the destination.
AI and the challenge of human intelligence
The Vatican’s new document on AI, Antiqua et Nova, engages deeply with this distinction, offering a timely reflection on artificial intelligence (AI).
While AI can mimic certain aspects of human intelligence, it cannot think. It processes data, identifies patterns, and generates solutions — but only within the parameters set by human creators. AI’s “intelligence” is functional and derivative; it lacks the freedom, creativity, and relational depth of true human thought.
This distinction is critical in evaluating AI’s role in human life. The Vatican reminds us that intelligence — whether natural or artificial — should always serve the greater ends of human thinking: contemplation, creativity, and communion. In education, work, health, and other spheres, AI is unable to overshadow the contemplative and relational dimensions that make us human.
Thinking as a path to God
The Church has long celebrated thinking as a spiritual act. To meditate on Scripture, to ponder the mysteries of creation, to pray — all these activities reveal the highest calling of the mind. Thinking aligns the soul with the divine, drawing us closer to the source of all truth and beauty.
In the age of AI, it is fundamental to preserve and nurture this capacity. While machines can assist us in understanding the world, they cannot contemplate its meaning. That remains the sacred privilege of human beings, created in God’s image, endowed with the freedom to think, and called to a wisdom that transcends mere utility.
As Pope Francis has reminded us, true wisdom comes not from machines but from the Spirit, guiding us to use our intelligence in service of humanity and the divine. In this light, thinking is not merely an activity but a vocation — a path to becoming more fully ourselves, more fully human, and ultimately, more fully united with God.
