Episode 280: Being Human in the Age of AI: Exploring What Machines Can't Replace with a World-Class Artist

AI was supposed to replace what humans make. Instead, it's revealing what only humans can. In this episode, Dr. Greg sits down with Mike Marshall, Director of Design at the CatholicPsych Institute, to explore the irony at the heart of the AI age: the closer machines get to perfection, the more clearly we see that imperfection isn't a flaw to engineer away: it's the signature of being human. Key Topics: What it means to be human in an age that can imitate almost everything Why the closer AI gets to "perfect," the more obvious it becomes that something's missing Why signing your work is becoming a quiet act of resistance in an age of imitation What it actually takes to stay human in a world that's getting very good at faking it Learn More: Letter to Artists by Pope St. John Paul II – The letter referenced throughout the conversation mikemarshalldesign.com – The hand behind every piece of CatholicPsych branding, and available for freelance work  The Everlasting Man by G.K. Chesterton – The meditation Mike draws from on man as "maker," not Creator The Mindful Catholic by Dr. Greg Bottaro – The book with the "keys in a blender" story Dr. Greg never expected readers to remember  Watch other Being Human episodes on YouTube – Watch the full video archive of the Being Human podcast Sam Altman on AI Images – The referenced video clip on why the value of perfection is going to zero  The Integrated Life Journal – Quarterly journal on disintegrated care in the modern world, and what integration looks like in practice  Summit of Integration 2026 – Sign up to learn more about this year's event! Need help? Schedule a free CatholicPsych consultation Want to help? Learn more about our Certification in Professional Accompaniment Follow Us on Socials: Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Twitter (X) | LinkedIn