The AI Catholic Podcast

About The AI Catholic Podcast

A Catholic perspective on artificial intelligence, AI ethics, and emerging technology. Each week, software engineer and former Jesuit novice Vick Moberg examines AI news, machine learning, and the moral questions they raise — through the lens of Catholic teaching and human dignity

Publisher

Vick Moberg

Category

technology

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

15 Aug 2025

Latest episode

9 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

30 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   9 Sept 2026

   Obscene Loophole: When AI Outpaces the Law

   A federal appeals court just ruled that possessing AI-generated CSAM that doesn't depict an identifiable child may be protected under the First Amendment — and the legal reasoning behind it stretches back nearly 70 years. In this episode, Vick breaks down the Seventh Circuit's ruling in United States v. Andereg, tracing the full chain of precedent that led here: Roth v. United States (1957), Stanley v. Georgia (1969), New York v. Ferber (1982), Osborne v. Ohio (1990), Ashcroft v. Free Speech Coalition (2002), and Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton (2025). This is a heavy, necessary conversation about where AI, obscenity law, and child protection collide — why courts are being forced to apply decades-old precedent to generative AI, why "no real child was harmed" doesn't settle the ethical question, and why synthetic CSAM still fuels real demand and real harm. Vick also explains the practical risk this creates for families: how AI models can turn public photos of real children into exploitative synthetic content, and why he continues to urge parents to stop posting images of their kids online. Content warning: This episode discusses AI-generated CSAM, child exploitation law, and related explicit legal terminology. Listener discretion advised. Topics covered: AI-generated CSAM legal precedent, First Amendment obscenity law, Seventh Circuit ruling, deepfake and synthetic media law, AI model guardrails, child safety online, Catholic ethics and AI regulation.

2. 

   31 Aug 2026

   Sacred Music: The Treasure of the Church

   AI can imitate the sound of sacred music, but can it create prayer? Vick Moberg examines what is lost when algorithms generate liturgical songs, from mangled Latin and hollow religious imagery to the human artists whose work fuels these systems. This episode is essential listening for Catholics, musicians, parish leaders, and anyone wondering where technology belongs in worship.Drawing on Pope Leo’s reflections and Sacrosanctum Concilium, Vick explains why the Church calls sacred music a treasure of “inestimable value” and an integral part of the liturgy. Sacred song does more than provide atmosphere: it opens the heart to grace, unites the congregation, deepens the solemnity of the Mass, and gives the faithful a way to pray together. You’ll hear about: The German copyright case against Suno, including AI-generated music found to be misleadingly similar to songs such as “Forever Young,” “Mambo No. 5,” and “Daddy Cool” Why AI-generated Gregorian-style music can sound convincing while producing gibberish, incorrect Latin, and distorted versions of Catholic texts The ethical questions surrounding training data, authorship, ownership, and whether artists are being recognized or paid How Sacrosanctum Concilium calls dioceses to support sacred music, sacred art, trained musicians, and beautiful liturgical worship Why Vick believes AI should never pray, sing, or create liturgical music on our behalf Vick also shares a personal story from attending Spanish-language Mass as a Jesuit novice. Even when he could not understand every word, music made him feel at home and united him with the worshipping community. That experience reveals the central truth of the episode: music communicates something deeply human, even across language barriers.The stakes are bigger than whether an AI song sounds good. The music of the Church shapes how people encounter the Mass, one another, and God. If we replace human participation with synthetic imitation, we risk losing the very thing sacred music is meant to express: love, communion, beauty, and the offering of the human soul.Listen, reflect, and then do something AI cannot do for you: sing. Join a choir, support your parish musicians, and let your own voice become part of the Church’s prayer.

3. 

   25 Aug 2026

   Season 2 Premier: The Lost Episode

   In this episode of The AI Catholic Podcast, Vick reflects on a wide-ranging conversation with author and entrepreneur Kevin Brady about discernment, critical thinking, human judgment, and the growing influence of artificial intelligence on how we make decisions. Drawing from Brady’s work in Discernment: A Framework for Seeing Clearly and Choosing Wisely, the episode explores the widening gap between having access to information and possessing the wisdom to use it well. AI can generate answers in seconds, but judgment, self-awareness, emotional regulation, values, and critical thinking remain deeply human responsibilities. The discussion examines how reliance on AI can strengthen—or quietly weaken—our ability to think for ourselves, why discernment matters more in an age of information overload, and how we can use powerful technological tools without surrendering the human faculties that make sound judgment possible. Learn more about Kevin Brady and his books through his Amazon author profile (https://www.amazon.com/stores/Kevin-Brady/author/B0CSNJN6T8?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_2&qid=1787614678&sr=8-2&shoppingPortalEnabled=true&ccs_id=d841b854-2fd9-4937-bb8e-bc3f7b63d9a7), and explore his Discernment framework, assessments, decision tools, and AI-guided reflection resources at Discernment.cc (https://discernment.cc). Topics include artificial intelligence, AI ethics, human judgment, discernment, critical thinking, decision-making, leadership, wisdom, emotional regulation, technological dependence, and preserving human agency in the age of AI.

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Spotify

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