Debate: Should We Delete Catholic AI? | Matthew Sanders, CEO of Longbeard, and Marc Barnes
Wed Feb 04 2026
In this podcast, Matthew Harvey Sanders, CEO of Longbeard (creator of MagisteriumAI), and Marc Barnes, editor of New Polity, debate whether Catholics should build and use AI chatbots. Barnes argues that Catholic AI chatbots are objectively evil because they generate probabilistic statements about the faith, are irresponsible in their responses, and are inherently fake conversations with non-persons. Sanders argues that Catholics should embrace this new technological development and that there is an openness from the Vatican about the creation of a true artificial intelligence. This debate is hosted by Edmund Mitchell of the Faith and AI Project. Check out Faith and AI Projects's other podcasts here: https://faithandaiproject.com/podcastThis debate has also occurred in writing. Barnes’s initial article “Delete Magisterium AI” can be found here: https://newpolity.com/blog/delete-mag.... Sanders’s response is here: https://www.longbeard.com/blog/respon.... Finally, Barnes’s second response is here: https://newpolity.com/blog/broken-ble....Subscribe to New Polity Magazine! https://newpolity.com/magazine Check out our books! https://newpolity.com/press Read more: https://newpolity.com/essays
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In this podcast, Matthew Harvey Sanders, CEO of Longbeard (creator of MagisteriumAI), and Marc Barnes, editor of New Polity, debate whether Catholics should build and use AI chatbots. Barnes argues that Catholic AI chatbots are objectively evil because they generate probabilistic statements about the faith, are irresponsible in their responses, and are inherently fake conversations with non-persons. Sanders argues that Catholics should embrace this new technological development and that there is an openness from the Vatican about the creation of a true artificial intelligence. This debate is hosted by Edmund Mitchell of the Faith and AI Project. Check out Faith and AI Projects's other podcasts here: https://faithandaiproject.com/podcastThis debate has also occurred in writing. Barnes’s initial article “Delete Magisterium AI” can be found here: https://newpolity.com/blog/delete-mag.... Sanders’s response is here: https://www.longbeard.com/blog/respon.... Finally, Barnes’s second response is here: https://newpolity.com/blog/broken-ble....Subscribe to New Polity Magazine! https://newpolity.com/magazine Check out our books! https://newpolity.com/press Read more: https://newpolity.com/essays