Martha and Mary Versus Artificial Intelligence: AI’s Implications for Religious Life

Abstract

In the glorious tradition of Roman Catholic Church, the consecrated persons have distinguished themselves as paragons of sanctity and service leading a life defined by vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. Yet, the current landscape of religious life presents an unprecedented situation fraught with challenges and possibilities. This article explores the multifaceted impact of AI on the lives of consecrated persons, examining both the potential threats and opportunities it presents. AI yields rich fruits such as automation of repetitive tasks, better communication, greater availability of time, personalization of services and effective outreach. At the same time, it raises some ethical concerns like data privacy, erosion of human interaction, and the potential for bias in decision-making. The rise of AI provokes some hard questions about the future role and purpose of consecrated life in a technologically advanced society. Against the backdrop of Martha-Mary episode, an humble attempt is made to figure out the salient features of humans in contrast to those of AI so that the consecrated persons can not only pioneer novel paths of religious ministry anchored on unique human traits but also harness the capabilities of AI for a fruitful Christian ministry.