Dozens of technologists and Catholics gathered at Microsoft in Redmond for a conversation about ethics in artificial intelligence between an "unlikely pair," as they were introduced: a papal adviser and the head of Microsoft.

Authentic friendships are made outside the Internet ecosystem

More than 100 days after its introduction, Bill C-63, The Online Harms Act, which immediately sparked passionate reactions of furor or support, was debated for the first time in the House of Commons June 7.

Earlier this February, the sovereigns of social media were summoned to Washington, D.C., for what the wise woman of American mainstream media, Peggy Noonan, described in her column as a ritual denunciation and show of outrage by the U.S. Senate’s judiciary committee.

A few years ago — let’s say 20 — I watched as the police handled a disturbance. An elderly gentleman was standing in the middle of the sidewalk talking animatedly to an invisible friend. It seemed to be a delightful conversation, and the man actually excused himself to his imaginary friend when the authorities intervened.

Are we losing our ability to think deeply, purposefully?

Google is in a panic. It finally met its match and has a competitor. A code red was issued to staff members at the tech behemoth. What’s all the fuss about? 

Is Artificial Intelligence (AI) a good thing? The Oxford Dictionary defines AI as “the theory and development of computer systems able to perform tasks normally requiring human intelligence, such as visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making and translation between languages” …and a whole lot more. 

Universities around the world are taking steps alongside major technology companies to explore ways to bolster ethics education in the artificial intelligence field in line with an initiative supported by the Vatican.

This past weekend I enjoyed a brief phone chat with Faye McCreedy, the youth ministry coordinator in the Archdiocese of Vancouver’s ministries and outreach office.

We live in a time in which truth has lost its meaning. We live in a time in which truth is replaced by feelings. When something no longer feels right it cannot be the truth. Every opinion is valid and none is greater than another.

In a world where we have so much technology and connection right at our fingertips, why do we sometimes feel so disconnected?

VATICAN CITY -- While digital technologies have led to advancements in communication and education, they also have led to the exploitation of children on the internet, Pope Francis said.

Every day, we’re bombarded with the virtues of technology — from quantum leaps in health care to helping police solve crimes to simple conveniences enjoyed by holding more computing power in our hands than what was used to put humans on the moon.

Whether it’s online shopping, banking or even dating, it’s as if we can live our lives entirely online. This is why the news about the banning of cellphones in all classes across Ontario next school year came as a surprise to me. The exceptions to the ban are when they are used as part of a teacher’s lesson, or for students with medical or special needs.