Can AI offer companionship—or just the illusion of it?

In this episode, host Benjamin Crockett speaks with Fr. Michael Baggot, LC (Assistant Professor, Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum) about the rise of artificial intimacy: chatbots that mimic empathy, “companions” that never challenge you, and digital relationships that replace real ones.

Fr. Baggot explains why AI can simulate attention but never suffer with you—and why authentic friendship, love, and even suffering remain irreplaceably human. They explore how the Church can guide us toward deeper connection in a lonely, increasingly automated world.

Timestamps:

・02:30 - Why Catholic AI Matters
・06:40 - The Moral Status of AI
・08:00 - Dangers of Artificial Intimacy
・19:00 - AI and Future Unemployment
・24:20 - Hopes for Catholic AI
・30:15 - AI's "No-Fly Zones"