Thomistic Perspectives on True Artificial Intelligence I Prof. Jordan Wales

The Thomistic Institute

Christianity, Society & Culture, Catholic Intellectual Tradition, Catholic, Philosophy, Religion & Spirituality, Thomism, Catholicism

4.8 • 729 Ratings

🗓️ 23 July 2025

⏱️ 50 minutes

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Summary

Prof. Jordan Wales offers a theological critique of artificial intelligence, examining the limitations of computational and behaviorist definitions of intelligence and emphasizing the need for intentionality, interior experience, and a Christian understanding rooted in Augustine.

This lecture was given on April 4th, 2024, at Hillsdale College.

For more information on upcoming events, visit us at thomisticinstitute.org/upcoming-events.

About the Speaker:

Jordan Wales is Associate Professor and John and Helen Kuczmarski Chair in Theology at Hillsdale College, where he teaches historical theology. His scholarship—appearing in journals such as Augustinian Studies, the Journal of Moral Theology, and AI & Society—focuses on early Christianity as well as theology and Artificial Intelligence. Holding degrees in Engineering (B.S.), Cognitive Science (M.Sc.), and Theology (Dip.Theol., M.T.S., Ph.D.), he is a member of the AI Research Group for the Centre for Digital Culture, under the Dicastery of Culture and Education at the Holy See; a fellow of the International Society for Science and Religion; and a fellow of the Centre for Humanity and the Common Good.

Keywords: Augustinianism, Behavioral Definition of Intelligence, Christianity and AI, Computationalism, Ethics, Francis Bacon, Intentionality, Machine Consciousness, René Descartes, Encountering Artificial Intelligence

Transcript

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0:00.0	As of July 1st, 2025, applications are open for the Thomistic Institute's Rome Study Abroad program for spring
0:06.9	26. Emmerse yourself in the Catholic intellectual tradition and experience profound opportunities for spiritual formation in the heart of the church.
0:17.1	Applications close August 15th. Learn more and apply at www.comistic institute.org
0:23.6	forward slash Rome.
0:27.6	Welcome to the Tomistic Institute podcast. Our mission is to promote the Catholic intellectual tradition in the university, the church, and the wider public square.
0:36.6	The lectures on this podcast are organized by university students at Temistic Institute
0:42.3	chapters around the world.
0:43.3	To learn more and to attend these events, visit us at to mysticinstitute.org.
0:49.3	Thank you.
0:50.3	It's nice to be here.
0:52.3	The journey was not too long and I arrived safely. The, as was intimated,
1:03.2	I don't have much of a tomistic perspective on artificial intelligence because I'm not much of a
1:07.9	tomist. But I am a theologian, and so I can offer a perspective
1:12.1	from within the Christian tradition that is more heavily influenced by Augustine, where my
1:17.0	specialty lies in early Christianity. I find myself in the situation of whoever it was, I don't remember who it was, who said I would have written a shorter letter,
1:30.6	but I didn't have time. So I would have written a shorter talk, but I didn't have time,
1:35.2	because I tried to make my talk, well, I saw the title that was purported to be assigned
1:41.1	to my talk on the promotional material yesterday.
1:45.0	And so I discarded the talk that I had prepared and tried to make a new one that would be about
1:52.0	intelligence, actual and artificial.
1:56.0	And so I'll begin.
1:58.0	And yes, I am a member of the AI research group, which is convened by the
	...

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