A few years ago — let’s say 20 — I watched as the police handled a disturbance. An elderly gentleman was standing in the middle of the sidewalk talking animatedly to an invisible friend. It seemed to be a delightful conversation, and the man actually excused himself to his imaginary friend when the authorities intervened.

Are we losing our ability to think deeply, purposefully?

Google is in a panic. It finally met its match and has a competitor. A code red was issued to staff members at the tech behemoth. What’s all the fuss about? 

Is Artificial Intelligence (AI) a good thing? The Oxford Dictionary defines AI as “the theory and development of computer systems able to perform tasks normally requiring human intelligence, such as visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making and translation between languages” …and a whole lot more. 

Universities around the world are taking steps alongside major technology companies to explore ways to bolster ethics education in the artificial intelligence field in line with an initiative supported by the Vatican.

This past weekend I enjoyed a brief phone chat with Faye McCreedy, the youth ministry coordinator in the Archdiocese of Vancouver’s ministries and outreach office.

We live in a time in which truth has lost its meaning. We live in a time in which truth is replaced by feelings. When something no longer feels right it cannot be the truth. Every opinion is valid and none is greater than another.

In a world where we have so much technology and connection right at our fingertips, why do we sometimes feel so disconnected?

VATICAN CITY -- While digital technologies have led to advancements in communication and education, they also have led to the exploitation of children on the internet, Pope Francis said.

Every day, we’re bombarded with the virtues of technology — from quantum leaps in health care to helping police solve crimes to simple conveniences enjoyed by holding more computing power in our hands than what was used to put humans on the moon.

Whether it’s online shopping, banking or even dating, it’s as if we can live our lives entirely online. This is why the news about the banning of cellphones in all classes across Ontario next school year came as a surprise to me. The exceptions to the ban are when they are used as part of a teacher’s lesson, or for students with medical or special needs.

VATICAN – As robotics play an increasingly greater role in today's world, their technological capabilities must not outpace ethical concerns, said a number of speakers at the Pontifical Academy for Life's workshop on "Robo-ethics: Humans, Machines and Health."

VATICAN – Technology holds the potential to benefit all of humankind, but it also poses risky and unforeseen results, Pope Francis said.

VATICAN – The president of Microsoft, Brad Smith, told Pope Francis that a "human voice" was needed to speak up in the world of technology today.

VATICAN – Even though today’s modern tools and technologies are hardly human, the Pontifical Academy for Life is zeroing in on the world of robots and machines powered by artificial intelligence.