Forming hearts and minds : challenges and renewal in catholic education in the age of AI

Machidon, Octavian-Mihai (author)

Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming how children and young people learn, relate, and understand themselves, introducing not only technological benefits but also deep ethical, social, and anthropological challenges. Early and intensive exposure to AI-powered systems, from personalised algorithms to social media and virtual companions, shapes young people’s identities and values, often promoting efficiency and control over patience, vulnerability, and relational depth. Recent research suggests that such exposure can also accelerate secularization and negatively impact our ability to relate with one another by undermining openness to transcendence and relational dependence. In this context, the Church is called to respond with urgency and creativity, rethinking educational and catechetical strategies to move beyond mere information delivery and foster authentic, transformative personal encounters. This paper examines some of the main AI-related challenges facing young people today and proposes theological and pastoral reflections to help Catholic educators form hearts and minds rooted in love, resilience, and true human dignity in the age of AI.

• Language: English
• Keywords: artificial intelligence, catholic education, catechesis, human formation, youth and technology
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FRI - Faculty of Computer and Information Science
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2025
• Number of pages: 16 str.
• Numbering: Vol. , no.
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-175981
• UDC: 004.8:27-472:37
• ISSN on article: 1942-2539
• DOI: 10.1080/19422539.2025.2576899
• COBISS.SI-ID: 256348419
• Publication date in RUL: 17.11.2025

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: International studies in Catholic education
• Publisher: 2009-
• ISSN: 1942-2539
• COBISS.SI-ID: 4855642

Licences

• License: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
• Description: The most restrictive Creative Commons license. This only allows people to download and share the work for no commercial gain and for no other purposes.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: umetna inteligenca, katoliška vzgoja, kateheza, človeška formacija, mladi in tehnologija

Projects

• Funder: ARIS - Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency
• Project number: J6-60105
• Name: Teologija in digitalizacija: antropološki in etični izzivi