Reclaiming Human Agency in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

The text, in continuity with the group’s previous publication and following _Antiqua et Nova_, highlights the difference between the prevailing AI definition of intelligence as rational action and problem-solving (often influenced by behaviorism and functionalism) and the traditional theological view of intelligence as a rational understanding and interpretation of reality. It stresses that human agency is fundamentally relational, rooted in the _imago Dei_ (image of God), which involves intellect, free will, and stewardship. It discusses how AI, through practices like manipulative nudging, algorithmic governance, deskilling, and the _rapidification_ of life, negatively impacts human freedom and promotes a paradigm focused on efficiency and control. Finally, the text proposes that the principles of Catholic social teaching, particularly subsidiarity and a focus on human dignity, offer ethical guidance for developing AI as a tool that genuinely supports human flourishing and responsible action rather than eroding it.