Artificial intelligence is reshaping our world, but perhaps its greatest gift will be to remind us of what makes us uniquely human. In the digital age, we must have a conviction to remain human or to become like machines.
As Fr. Pasolini, preacher to Pope Leo observes, there is “that little something that only we can do — and that we often don’t do.” Too often, our days are filled with tasks that a computer could just as easily perform, while we invest only a fraction of our true humanity—our feelings, our depth, our love—into them.
No wonder so many of us feel exhausted. We already live a little like machines, moving from one task to the next without presence, without heart. Yet as technology takes on more of these tasks, we will be forced to ask ourselves: Where do we choose to put our heart and love today?
This is where spiritual intelligence becomes essential. It is the wisdom to delegate what machines can do, while reclaiming the freedom to invest our humanity where it matters most: in relationships, in compassion, in acts of love and service. Artificial intelligence may write a text, but only a human being can stand before others, look them in the eye, and speak with sincerity, choosing where to place the emphasis.
We remain free—free to live as humans or to drift into machine-like existence. Concern is natural, but fear is not the way forward. The call is to cultivate spiritual intelligence, to remain rooted in our identity as beloved children of God, and to let sensitivity, love, and presence guide our choices. In doing so, we not only preserve our humanity—we allow it to flourish.
During this week of Thanksgiving in the US, let’s be grateful for the gift of our humanity. Let us never stop striving to be who God meant us to be, co-creators of faith, hope and charity revealed in our world. 🙏🏻
Smitten With Goodness 