Conversation with Dr. Nenad Badovinac, Coordinator of the Section for Electronic Mission of the Missionary Department of the Archbishopric of Belgrade–Karlovci
Interviewer: Olivera Jovanović
Mr. Badovinac, you are part of the team of the Missionary Department of the Archbishopric of Belgrade–Karlovci, within which you head the Section for Electronic Mission. Today, the word network is most often used in the sense of internet connectivity—in the context of online social networks. What is often forgotten is the personal dimension of connection between people. The Church is the most perfect network that exists—there is no place without a church in which a parish community is organized. The very word communication implies communion, which the Church truly is. What does electronic mission mean within the mission of the Church?
Electronic mission is not a substitute for the mission of the living liturgical community, but rather its extension and witness in the digital space. If we call the Church the most perfect network, we do not mean this in a technical sense but in a personal one. Within it there exist “sub-networks” of living relationships, such as parishes, brotherhoods, families, and in general small communities of the faithful gathered around Christ. In this context, the digital space is not an alternative to the Church but a new missionary field, and it must be understood as such. The purpose of this missionary field is not to create some virtual parallel reality, but to strengthen existing relationships and invite the human person to a real encounter in the church, in the Holy Liturgy. Electronic mission may also be viewed from the perspective of the city square of our time. Just as the Holy Apostle Paul preached in the public squares and along the roads of his own era, so today we too are called to be present in digital spaces. Electronic mission bears witness to the faith through text, image, video, and social media, with the aim of directing the human person towards the real ecclesial community. It is the responsible use of contemporary technologies in the service of spreading the Word of God, and the Church should approach it in an organized manner. The goal is not to keep a person glued to the screen, but to help him find, through digital content, the path towards the living experience of the Church. In a symbolic way, this interview itself also bears witness to the synergy between the technology used in electronic mission and the human person. It was created through the collaboration of a human being and tools of artificial intelligence, and I chose this approach in order to demonstrate that technology can be our collaborator, but not our replacement. Without human reflection this text would have no meaning, while without technological tools it would not have this form or the speed of its creation. Precisely in this cooperation—where the human person sets the rules and leads, while technology serves—I see the proper model of electronic mission.
What is artificial intelligence? Please explain to our readers the concept of artificial intelligence both in its formal and its fundamental sense.
Artificial intelligence is an area of computer science that develops systems capable of performing tasks ordinarily carried out by human beings, such as learning from data, facial and speech recogniton, analyzing images, making decisions, and adapting to new situations. These systems can process vast amounts of data very quickly and, on that basis, produce assessments or predictions. However, in a fundamental sense, artificial intelligence is not intelligence in human terms. It has no consciousness, no free will, and no personal experience. It does not think—it calculates. It does not understand—it makes statistical connections. When it appears to us to be “intelligent,” this is essentially the result of complex mathematical models that recognize patterns in data. Therefore, it is important to distinguish the capability of machine learning within a computer system from the ontological reality of the human person. The human being is a person, a being of conscience and freedom. Artificial intelligence is a tool—powerful, useful, highly capable, and fast. It is a tool that can assist in medicine, education, and security, but also in missionary work through data analysis or content processing. In this sense, artificial intelligence is a product of the human mind and human knowledge. For this reason it is important to regard it as a means in the service of humanity, and not as a substitute for the human person. Once we become aware of the possibilities that artificial intelligence offers, we will be more capable of using it for a great many beneficial purposes. That is a brief explanation. However, a deeper analysis of artificial intelligence is incomplete without considering the spiritual background of its existence. For example, the technology of alternating electrical current comes from an Orthodox spiritual background of Nikola Tesla. In the case of artificial intelligence, however, we do not yet know its spiritual background—in this case, only time will tell.
We are witnessing frequent abuses of artificial intelligence—where is the red line concerning the manipulation of people?
Technology itself has no moral character; it becomes good or bad depending on the manner of its application. This is precisely where we encounter the issue of the “red line”. The red line in terms of manipulation is crossed when artificial intelligence is used to deceive people—through false video recordings (so-called deepfakes), artificially generated human voices, fake news, or psychologically profiled messages that deliberately target people’s emotions and decisions. Another important boundary is transparency. Artificially generated content that has been deliberately obscured in order to create a false identity, is an example of deliberately crossing an ethical boundary. A human being has the right to know with whom—or with what—he is communicating. Concealing the origin of content in order to influence emotions or religious convictions constitutes a serious form of abuse. In essence, the red line is crossed wherever truth is concealed. For this reason it is important that the development and application of artificial intelligence be grounded in clear ethical and moral frameworks, accompanied by spiritual and critical discernment, in which the Church should actively participate and contribute.
Theological teaching stands on the foundation of Truth, which testifies that a technological system, no matter how advanced, cannot replace ethics, spirituality, or responsibility. How important is it to remind ourselves that the most perfect of God’s creations is the human person, and that this perfection is manifested precisely in relationships with other people, which implies responsibility? Is artificial intelligence moving in the direction of attempting to replace all human traits, even though we are aware that only a human being is capable of qualities such as love and repentance?
Artificial intelligence, as a tool governed by human beings, does not move in any direction by itself; rather, its course is directed by its creators and by the manner of its development. Today, large multinational technology companies—and a decreasing number of individuals—exercise control over this technological sector. Theological teaching proceeds from the truth that the human being is created in the likeness of God, as a being of relationship, freedom, and responsibility. By contrast, a technological system, however sophisticated it may be, remains a collection of algorithms and mathematical models. These models may imitate certain forms of human behaviour very effectively, but they are devoid of consciousness, conscience, ability to repent, or love. For this reason it is extremely important to continually remind ourselves that the human person is a creation of God, whereas artificial intelligence—even the most advanced humanoid robots—is a product of humanity’s limited knowledge and limited technology. Artificial intelligence today can generate texts about love, simulate a human voice expressing compassion, appear to mourn, or present itself as joyful. Yet this remains a simulation. Everything it does is ultimately the result of extremely rapid data processing and the calculation of statistical probabilities. I would not say that artificial intelligence “seeks” to replace human characteristics, because it has no will of its own by which it could desire or not desire something. However, there is a danger that human beings, fascinated by technological achievements, may begin to project onto technology what belongs exclusively to human nature. The real danger therefore lies not in the machine itself, but in the human relationship towards the machine.
The creator of artificial intelligence is the human person—has humanity crossed a boundary in attempting to become a superhuman?
The creator of artificial intelligence is indeed the human person, and this itself testifies to the remarkable creative capacity of humanity. The human being is a creature that explores, creates, interprets the world around it, and discovers new solutions. The boundary is not crossed simply through the development of advanced systems, but when the human person begins to believe that through technology he can transcend his own nature and his need for God. The problem does not arise in the laboratory, but in the heart of the person who governs technology. For that reason I would say that humanity has not crossed a boundary merely by developing tools of artificial intelligence. The boundary is crossed when awareness of one’s own proper place as a human being is lost. As long as technology remains in the service of humanity, and as long as human beings remain conscious of their responsibility before God, it can indeed be a blessing.
In addition to the negative aspects of artificial intelligence, which positive aspects would you highlight? We know that in the field of medicine artificial intelligence has proven beneficial and has improved many branches of medicine, particularly with regards to surgery.
Recognizing the possible abuses of artificial intelligence, it is necessary to systematically develop and encourage its application for positive purposes, grounded in clear ethical principles and social responsibility. In many fields its contribution is already very significant. In medicine, artificial intelligence assists in the early diagnosis of diseases through the analysis of medical images (radiology and oncology), in predicting complications, in the personalization of therapies, and in assisting robotic surgical procedures. In this way precision is increased, risk is reduced, and lives are saved. In certain areas, algorithms are capable of identifying patterns that the human eye may find difficult to detect. In education, artificial intelligence enables personalized learning adapted to the needs of individual students. In the sphere of security and crisis situations, AI systems assist in predicting natural disasters and analyzing traffic flows. In everyday life it facilitates communication and the processing of large quantities of data. Essentially speaking, the positive side of artificial intelligence lies in its ability to expand human capacities. When used in the mission of the Church, technology can bring the Word of God closer to the faithful and reach the sick, the elderly, and those who are displaced. Through digital libraries, audio and video content, podcasts, educational platforms, and interactive courses, the message of the Gospel becomes accessible to the contemporary person—in a language and format that he understands. In this way technology becomes a bridge that overcomes physical distance, spreads the Word of God, and, most importantly, directs the human person towards a personal encounter with the Church and with the living liturgical community.
We are witnessing increasingly frequent incidence of internet fraud that begins with bogus advertising, especially when it comes to “miraculous medicines and remedies” that promise rapid healing. Since health is a subject that particularly affects the elderly population, how can such forms of manipulation be recognized, and in what way can citizens be effectively forewarned?
Internet scams based on fraudulent advertising for “miracle cures” are dangerous because they target the most sensitive area of our lives—health. For this reason older people are often the primary targets, since they may not possess sufficient digital experience to recognize manipulation. The first step in preventing such fraudulent activity is education. Citizens should be warned never to leave personal or financial information on suspicious websites. In addition, I would emphasize the importance of family care— younger members of the family should speak with their elders about internet fraud, help them recognize suspicious content, and support them in navigating the digital space.
Thank you for this conversation in which you have clarified many doubts and ambiguities that all of us encounter in the ever more popular internet world.
