Silicon Valley is increasingly comfortable talking about end-times, salvation, immortality, and even the apocalypse, and often through the language of artificial intelligence and technological progress.

Why aren’t Catholics?

In this episode of The Faith & AI Project, Edmund Mitchell sits down with John Johnson for a deep and provocative conversation about AI, technocracy, and what’s really at stake beneath the hype. Together, they explore why AI isn’t just a technical or economic issue, but a profoundly theological one. The conversation explores urgent questions about human dignity, salvation, and what it means to be truly human.

From “counterfeit human personhood” to transhumanist promises of immortality, from Aquinas to the Book of Revelation, this conversation challenges Catholics to reclaim their own intellectual and spiritual tradition in a moment when the culture is asking apocalyptic questions without theological grounding.

This episode isn’t about fear. It’s about clarity. And it’s about why the Church has something essential to say right now.

They discuss why AI should not be evaluated in isolation, how good formation dictates good discernment, what Thomas Aquinas might do with ChatGPT at his elbow, and why Catholic leaders should look closely at the stated visions of today’s major AI companies. Matthew also explains how AI can serve as a “front porch to the Church” for seekers, and why the ultimate goal isn’t Catholic AI, but fully formed Catholics who no longer need it.

If you’ve wondered how AI fits into the journey toward human flourishing and sainthood, or what a “City of God in the robotics age” might look like, this episode offers clarity, challenge, and hope.

Key Moments

00:00 — Counterfeit Human Personhood
04:12 — What Is Technocracy?
08:05 — AI as Salvation Story
12:48 — Machines Move Into Bodies
17:32 — Revelation Is Our Book
22:41 — Defining the Human Person
28:19 — Education vs Training
34:06 — Liberal Education and Hope

❝

The Book of Revelation was written by a Catholic. So why are technologists asking eschatological questions…and Catholics are afraid to?

John Johnson

Episode Guest

John Johnson is the Founder and CEO of Patmos Hosting, an AI data center company building secure, mission-driven infrastructure rooted in Catholic first principles. A lay Catholic businessman and educator, he approaches artificial intelligence as a philosophical and theological challenge, not merely a technical one. John holds a degree in Philosophy from St. Mary’s College and a Master’s degree in Theology from the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology, where his work focused on the beatific epistemology of St. Thomas Aquinas.

What do you think? Join the conversation.

Let us know your thoughts about the conversation!
We may highlight your takeaways, thoughts, or questions in an upcoming newsletter.

Keep Reading