Catholic Founders #41 There are Souls at Stake. It's Time to Become Modern St. Paul | Matthew Harvey Sanders (Longbeard)
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In Today’s Issue:
* Intro to the Guest and Topic
* Core Takeaway
* Episode References
* Select Quotes
* Key Moments
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Today’s Topic & Guest:
* Matthew Harvey Sanders| Longbeard
* Matthew sits at the crossroads of Catholicism and cutting-edge tech. He’s the founder of Longbeard, the venture studio building a new wave of Catholic technology products. His path is anything but linear: political science, discerning the priesthood, serving in the Canadian military, working for the Archdiocese of Toronto, then jumping full-time into digital evangelization and tech innovation. The studio is also known for building Magisterium AI, the first large language model trained directly on Church documents. Matthew works closely with Church leaders on the ethics of AI and runs the Builders AI Forum in Rome, pushing for a moral, human-centered approach to tech.
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Core Lesson:
Catholics must actively build and lead in the AI space because it is a “critical battleground” and the only way to combat its misuse is to steer the technology morally.
Here’s the deal: As Catholics, we need to be involved AND leading in the AI transformation. Because it’s a battleground for our Faith. There big moral questions at stake with many aspects of AI, and Catholics, possessing the fullness of the Truth, cannot abdicate the responsibility to lead in this time.
If we do nothing, many souls will be lost.
Using our moral perspective, we must steer AI to be used for good. We must be the modern St. Pauls of our time.
God Bless & Happy Building!
~Silas Mähner
Key Episode References:
* Magisterium AI (an AI large language model trained on Church documents, Bible, and catechism)
* Longbeard (Matthew Harvey Sanders’ studio/venture studio)
* Paulist Fathers (the order Matthew was discerning with)
* Paulist Press (pioneered by the Paulist Fathers)
Select Quotes:
* “And given that this [AI] technology in particular is going to reshape the world like nothing we’ve ever seen before, if we decide that we’re just not going to use it, well, the devil is going to. And I guarantee he’ll use it to wreck us. So just consider this a critical battleground. And I don’t think we can cede the field, especially with this technology, to the enemy.” — Matthew
* “If we are passive and we’re not focused on evangelization as a church, if we’re not willing to take risks and proclaim the gospel, there are souls that are only gonna be lost on this earth because of that. And we have to take responsibility for that. That’s on us.” — Matthew
* “...the biggest civilizational risk is, that people use it [AI] as a proxy for real human relationships or spiritual life, thinking that somehow AI is going to be able to fill those vital roles.” — Matthew
* “Ultimately, what’s gonna make you happy is becoming friends with God, with loving and worshiping God, and making deep and meaningful connections with other human beings. Nothing else will suffice.” — Matthew
* “The whole point is to ensure that individuals and civilization flourish…[making] sure that the technologies we’re developing are pointed at the right problems or what we call the impediments to human flourishing.” — Matthew
* “If you’re attracted by what the role of the priest is and you feel that they’re vital and you feel that you may have the gifts to do it, just go and try it. I guarantee you, going into seminary and coming out again, you’ll be a better person for it.” — Matthew
Key Moments: (outline)
* 00:00 Introduction to Matthew Harvey Sanders
* Introduction to Matthew Harvey Sanders’ background
* 06:43 Journey into Technology and Faith
* Matthew explains how his desire to effectively reach young people for evangelization led him to embrace and start a company focused on leveraging technology for the Church.
* 09:27 The Role of AI in Evangelization
* Matthew states that we must view AI as a critical battleground, drawing on the Church’s long tradition of using new technologies to proclaim the Gospel.
* 12:11 Navigating the Challenges of AI
* The conversation covers the need for strong Catholic formation to responsibly wield AI and the idea that fear of technology is often a fear of ourselves and others.
* 14:45 Human Flourishing in the Age of AI
* The biggest civilizational risk is using AI as a proxy for human and spiritual relationships, emphasizing that the telos must be human flourishing—becoming friends with God and making deep human connections.
* 18:19 The Builders AI Forum and Church Engagement
* An initiative faturing experts, academics, and ministry workers, focused on ensuring Artificial Intelligence is properly adopted and used to advance the Catholic Church’s mission.
* 37:33 Catholic Leadership in AI
* The discussion begins on how to effectively encourage Catholics to become leaders and builders in the field of artificial intelligence
* 44:36 The Role of Small Businesses in AI
* Discussion on human talent and the use of AI
* 55:00 Ambition and Greatness in Catholicism
* Redefining ambition and having a hunger for excellence
* 01:03:30 Co-Creators with God: The Entrepreneurial Spirit
* We are called to hone our gifts and put them at the service of others
* 01:12:23 Embracing Responsibility in the AI Age
* A Wrap Up and an invitation to reflect on what is our part in ensuring AI is pointed at the right problems and serves human flourishing
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