Assisted-Intelligence Computers for Catholic Apologetics

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This is a challenge/suggestion/appeal to Catholic
apologists, academics, computer scientists, religious,
bishops and anyone in between to come together,
following the example of St. Maximilian Kolbe, to
apply the best technology to evangelization.

Secular corporations have used expansive search
algorithms and/or relatively recent advances in
“deep-learning” or “artificial intelligence” (perhaps
more accurately called “assisted intelligence”),
sometimes in conjunction with adaptations in computer
hardware (such as graphical processing units or GPU)
for other purposes
to demonstrate computers outperforming the extant most
skilled human individuals at tasks that thitherto were
best done by gifted human persons. Examples include
playing 1) chess (by IBM), 2) the television trivia
game show “Jeopardy” (again by IBM), 3) the oriental
board game “Go” (by Google), and 4) more recently
chess (again by Google), but this time trouncing one
of the strongest chess computers along the lines of
example #1 (which in turn trounces human
grandmasters). The emphasis on superior technology in
this example was that the Google computer learned to
play chess in just four hours before engaging in
competition.

Note that IBM “trained” the competing computer (which
received and answered the questions orally for the
Jeopardy game) by “reading” numerous publications, and
the Google assisted intelligence device also had a
structured learning environment.

Hence the challenge: to iteratively build and maintain
the best Catholic apologetics computer(s) in the world,
with structured learning environments,
“reading” most relevant “literature” in the world, and applying
logic (along the lines of chess) to debate/explain the points
at hand, with all comers (including possibly other debating
computers). This project requires development, but it can
be done (at least I don’t see why not), God-willing, if not first
by fervent Catholics, then as a catch-up measure in response
to organizations that do not have the fullness of truth as
their basis, whether they be major corporations trying to
engrain brand loyalty into the fodder of emerging child minds,
continuing Communist/totalitarian regimes that prohibit
dissemination of the truths that threaten their enforced
grip on power, Protestants that deny some of the key
points of Catholic faith, or Muslim fundamentalists.

Why should Catholics develop and use such technology?
We have the great commission - “to preach the gospel to all nations”.
 
I assume you are talking about deep learning/machine learning.
I’m just not sure how this works. The machine will only give out data as good as the data you put in. What data will you use to train the computer?
 
I mean most Catholic apologetics questions have been answered 1000s of times before. Look at the archives of this website.
 
What’s the point of developing a machine like that when no one in your target audience would ever ask the machine for it’s “opinion”, or care in the slightest what it’s “opinion” was?

To paraphrase Field of Dreams: “If you build it, they will not come”.
 
I don’t think things work quite that way.
Notice your examples.
Chess and go. What are these? Games with rules. IBM may seem closer, but it’d really be like googling and saying the answer but without google. There’s no deep understanding of the question. It’s pure information and “learning”.

Plus, language. Google translate’s ONLY job is to translate. Look at how bad that can come out as.
 
Chess and go. What are these? Games with rules. IBM may seem closer, but it’d really be like googling and saying the answer but without google. There’s no deep understanding of the question. It’s pure information and “learning”.
An excellent observation! Unfortunately, there are some Catholics for whom Catholicism is just that, a game with rules, and they are looking for black and white answers in a technicolor universe.
 
Google Translate is horrible when I try to translate things from Latin.
 
What would be the training material for these computers? It would be the scriptures, the
Catechism, writings of the saints, encyclicals, etc., guided by the magisterium of the Church
and the guidance of the Holy Spirit for things which are fully true, and again, with the best guidance, many other materials which are only partially true as well as why they either fall short of the fullness of truth.

What might be some practical utilities of such a computer, besides doing a better job
than normal (without miraculous intervention) of 1) answering simple questions of faith faster,
2) using incisive illustrations with wide-ranging source material to demonstrate the
choice of whether or not to love God?
One possibility is that, adept at recognizing the inter-play of different reasonings for
coming to choose love God and sensitive to the current reasoning of an individual,
the computer may tailor the apologetic elucidations to the particular person.
 
There have been a few comments that the technology is not “there” yet, or that the technology
is (or will be) not something that people would not want to use, that it is too simplistic.
In response, I assert that it is a huge misjudgment to assume that the technology being used
in 10 to 20 years will be the same as now, akin to a fellow at the patent office in the 1800s who
stated something to the effect that everything useful had already been invented.
It is envisioned that there will come a time when the technology has advanced to the point that
nuances in reasoning will be handled adeptly by the assisted intelligence computers, and maybe
there will be an emergent discipline of “computational philosophy”. The question of this post is:
where will the Catholics be then? Will they be relying on assisted intelligence devices
dominated by philosophies of relativism set up by those who effectively deny Jesus Christ?
Will the extant foundational textbooks lock out the Catholic faith?

Why should Catholics be the ones developing and using these things? Besides the command
of the great commission, we Catholics have the gift of the fullness of truth - which means that,
guided by the Holy Spirit, we can integrate better than anyone else all the logic behind beliefs,
scientific facts, and historical data into a single, accurate, convincing multifaceted portrait.

Would it not be better to just be holy like St. Francis of Assisi, to walk around barefoot, and
convert people by our mere presence rather than delving into a potentially huge computer
project? - “Holiness is always in season.” But, when God gives a gift it should be used for
God’s glory. Recall that St. Maximilian Kolbe was a Franciscan.
Code:
Are there precedents for Catholics going to uncharted, perhaps
dangerous areas to spread the Gospel with ensuing conflict likely?
  • Absolutely, consider Christopher Columbus
    and many, many missionaries.
Is this stuff too dangerous to work on? - “Truth is strong in itself, no assault weakens it
(St. Thomas Aquinas).”

Is this too expensive (in dollars) an undertaking at this point in time? Or rather,
how expensive (in souls) is it to not pursue this project? - there is an appropriate scale,
as discerned by those involved, with throngs contributing in appropriate ways by
guidance of the Holy Spirit. Prayer is always important for the living of each person’s
vocation. For a generation of students with vocations to family life who are seeking
gainful employment, computer science and assisted intelligence gives a unique way
to contribute to a Catholic culture. Theologians and apologists might add focus to
systematizing the issues and deductions so as to facilitate the training of the computers.
Catholic computer science academics might serve to organize initial forays into a
demonstrable synthesis. And God may call a modern day King Ferdinand and/or
Queen Isabella to finance a modern day Columbus to sail on uncharted waters of
cyberspace for the Glory of God.
 
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