The Conscience and the Code: Catholic Reflections on Yale’s Keynote I

By @wiredsaints, Digital Saints and Theology

“The eternal wrestle of conscience—to at once be guided by our responsibility to do right, and to constantly fall short of satisfying its innate wholeness—is uniquely human.”
— William Schweiker, “Conscience and the Ends of Humanity” Yale School of Public Health+4divinity.uchicago.edu+4philevents.org+4

Introduction: When Theology Meets AI at Yale

At Yale Divinity School’s April 2025 conference “AI and the Ends of Humanity”, Professor William Schweiker delivered the second keynote: “Conscience and the Ends of Humanity: Christian Humanism and Artificial Intelligence.” Schweiker contrasted the mechanical predictability of AI with the dynamic moral interiority of human conscience. His reflection set a profoundly Christian frame for the conference—reminding us that while AI can mimic decisions, it cannot bear moral responsibility.

Key Themes from the Keynote

1. Conscience Is Unprogrammable

Schweiker emphasized that conscience involves tension—between duty and failure, reason and temptation. AI algorithms may follow rules, but they lack the internal freedom to choose hypocrisy or repentance, essential components of moral life. As he stated:

“AI can be programmed to be responsible, but not ‘in a condition marked … by the freedom for hypocrisy… That capability is, for now, lacking in AI.” divinity.uchicago.edu

Thus, true moral agency remains profoundly human.

2. Humanism in the Digital Age

His keynote called for a Christian humanism that resists both technocratic reductionism and nihilistic fear. Technology must serve humanity, not replace it. He argued that companionship, care, creativity—and yes, moral decision-making—cannot be outsourced to machines.

3. AI’s Limitations as Moral Agents

Schweiker addressed current debates about AI “rights” or moral responsibility. He underscored that AI lacks intentionality, conscience, and dignity—three pillars of Catholic moral anthropology rooted in Gaudium et Spes and Veritatis Splendor. Machines act; they do not choose.

A Catholic Ethical Lens: Why It Matters

When theology and ethics meet AI, Catholic social teaching offers unique guardrails:

Dignitas Infinita reminds us human worth is not performance-based. AI risks false evaluations of worth based on user metrics. Vox+12The Yale Review of International Studies+12philevents.org+12 divinity.uchicago.edu Financial Times
Veritatis Splendor teaches that moral actions orient toward ultimate truth, not utility. Algorithms lack the can’t-choose-wrong freedom of the soul.
Caritas in Veritate emphasizes technology must support—not supplant—human flourishing. AI must reinforce justice, freedom, and love—not merely productivity.

Schweiker’s intervention invites us to ground AI ethics not in fear or hype, but in theological anthropology that honors the human person.

Journalism or journalism-adjacent tech roles aside, as a coder, I often find myself wondering: Can lines of code reflect the weight of conscience?

When I watched Schweiker speak, I felt seen. He reminds me that code is not conscious. It can’t wrestle with shame, hope for forgiveness, or risk vulnerability. That inner life remains uniquely human—something, I pray, even the most advanced AI won’t eclipse.

We can build amazing tools, but only humans bear moral accountability.

Hope as Resistance: A Vision Beyond Techno-Pessimism

While Yale’s theologians acknowledged AI risks—deception, bias, polarization—they oriented toward a resistance grounded in hope. Schweiker’s keynote was not despairing, but hopeful: it invited listeners to embody Christian virtue in digital spaces.

This echoes Church initiatives like the Rome Call for AI Ethics, Pope Leo XIV’s early emphasis on dignity, and Dignitas Infinita—all seeking to shape AI with moral vision, not mere governance. The Wall Street Journal+4The Washington Post+4The Yale Review of International Studies+4

Schweiker’s theological insight matters because it roots ethics in personal identity, not algorithmic capability. He invites us not to fear AI, but to remember:
We are not data; we are persons. We are not algorithms; we are called.

Our technology can help us worship, pray, connect—but it cannot replace conscience, confession, or cross-bearing.

And Catholic theology continues to affirm: it is our choice, not our ability, that defines us.