Builders Artificial Intelligence Forum
Four Boston College faculty members were selected to participate in the Builders Artificial Intelligence Forum 2025 at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome on November 6-7, joining some 200 leading Catholic educators, ethicists, and technology and health care experts from 160 organizations worldwide in discussions on artificial intelligence and how it can be used in ways that serve the Church鈥檚 mission and respect the dignity of the human person and the common good.
Brian K. Smith of the Lynch School
Lynch School of Education and Human Development Nelson Chair and Associate Dean Brian Smith, Woods College of Advancing Studies Associate Dean for Strategy, Innovation, and Technology Aleksandar Tomic, Clough School of Theology and Ministry Associate Professor Daniel Daly, and Morrissey College Philosophy Professor of the Practice Fr. Philip Larrey,聽joined in working group discussions on AI鈥檚 impact on education, health care, and business, in an effort to create an interdisciplinary community to help guide AI innovation through the perspective of Catholic social teaching.
Aleksandar (Sasha) Tomic of the Woods College
Writing to the forum鈥檚 participants, Pope Leo XIV called on scientists, entrepreneurs, and pastoral leaders engaged in the development and employment of Al to develop systems that 鈥渞eflect justice, solidarity, and a genuine reverence for life.
鈥淭o ensure that artificial intelligence serves human dignity, justice, and the common good, the development of ethical technology must be a shared, ecclesial mission reflecting God the Creator鈥檚 design: intelligent, relational, and guided by love,鈥� the Pope wrote.
鈥淭he question is not merely what AI can do, but who we are becoming through the technologies we build.鈥�
Daniel Daly of the Clough School
Fr. Larrey, who was the moderator of a workshop titled "Towards a Catholic Turing Test: Defining and Detecting Consciousness,鈥� said his group was tasked with conceptualizing a Turing Test informed by Catholic anthropology聽and theology. A Turing Test, named after the British mathematician and computer scientist Alan Turing, is a method of inquiry in artificial intelligence for determining whether a computer is capable of human-like intelligence.
Fr. Philip Larrey of the Morrissey College
鈥淚 was more than honored to be a part of the Builders AI Forum and to lead this particular workshop discussion,鈥� said Fr. Larrey.
鈥淭he Catholic tradition in philosophy and theology is an excellent聽framework within which to discuss issues being raised concerning AI and emerging technologies. As a Church, we have a richness that can and will benefit all of humanity as we face the rise of AI and other relevant technologies today and tomorrow.鈥�
Fr. Larrey said it was the second time the forum had been convened, following last year鈥檚 successful meeting at the Pontifical Academy of Sciences inside the Vatican.
Forum participants were selected by Matthew Sanders, CEO of Longbeard, a technology company and leader in AI-driven solutions for the Catholic Church, as well as David Nazar, S.J., the general director of the three Jesuit institutions in Rome. The Builders AI Forum will likely meet once again next year.
鈥淭he goal was for each of the participants to leave with a richer understanding of the challenges and possibilities of AI, contribute聽to the initial framing of this complex issue, and identify pathways for future collaborative research and development,鈥� said Fr. Larrey.
鈥淚t was a great experience, and the involvement of four faculty from Boston College reflects the esteem in which the University is held by the Vatican and the global Catholic educational community.鈥�
"Unlike other AI meetings聽I attend, the Builders AI Forum begins by asking how artificial intelligence technologies can be used to amplify those aspects that make us uniquely human, particularly those聽related to human dignity, morality, and flourishing," said Brian Smith. "I was pleased to be a part of it."聽
Learn more about the event at the .