The Thomistic Institute Insight, Idolatry, and AI I Prof. Jordan Wales
Sep 9, 2025
Jordan Wales, Associate Professor of Theology at Hillsdale College, dives into the complex relationship between AI and human decision-making. He warns that reliance on AI in fields like medicine and justice can lead to idolatrous control, emphasizing the need for technology to enhance genuine ethical discernment. Wales also discusses how AI systems mirror human biases and the importance of immersive experiences in truly mastering skills. Ultimately, he advocates for technology that nurtures love and responsibility rather than detaching us from authentic human connections.
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Intelligence Versus Intelligentsia
- Human intelligentsia is a loving, interpretive stance that orients action toward reality.
- Modern AI measures behavioral efficacy without embodying that personal, loving orientation.
Reductions Yield Insight And Risk Distortion
- All perception and judgment reduce reality to make action possible, and such reductions can yield genuine insight.
- But when these reductions distort rather than clarify, they become undesirable biases.
Real AI Failures From Training Data
- Wales recounts AI failures like reconstructing Obama's face as Caucasian and Amazon's hiring tool deprioritizing women.
- These examples show how training data and historical hiring patterns produce harmful, emergent bias.
