EPISODE · Jun 26, 2026 · 6 MIN
What the Pope Gets about AI and Creativity
from Keep the Flow
The Pope wrote an encyclical about AI — and the part that hit me hardest had nothing to do with technology.📭 The free newsletter goes deeper into ideas like these: https://ktfpod.com I'm not a religious person, but when Pope Leo released his encyclical on artificial intelligence, something in it stopped me cold. He wrote about "authentic encounters" – the bonds we form with each other through listening, presence, and even wasting time together. He wasn't talking about creativity, but I couldn't stop thinking about how much he was. What we do as creative people is facilitate those encounters. We make things that connect people to each other and to themselves. That's not something an algorithm can imitate, and the Pope actually says as much – AI can mimic certain functions of intelligence, but a person's future depends on freedom and relationship, not optimization. I'm not dismissing the real dangers of the technology or the legitimate fears many of us have. But this episode is about why I think those fears, while understandable, are missing the point of what creativity actually is.🎧Check out my music: https://scottmclemore.bandcamp.com/🤟Join the Patreon community: https://patreon.com/scottmclemore📭 The free newsletter goes deeper into ideas like these: https://ktfpod.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
What this episode covers
The Pope wrote an encyclical about AI — and the part that hit me hardest had nothing to do with technology.📭 The free newsletter goes deeper into ideas like these: https://ktfpod.com I'm not a religious person, but when Pope Leo released his encyclical on artificial intelligence, something in it stopped me cold. He wrote about "authentic encounters" – the bonds we form with each other through listening, presence, and even wasting time together. He wasn't talking about creativity, but I couldn't stop thinking about how much he was. What we do as creative people is facilitate those encounters. We make things that connect people to each other and to themselves. That's not something an algorithm can imitate, and the Pope actually says as much – AI can mimic certain functions of intelligence, but a person's future depends on freedom and relationship, not optimization. I'm not dismissing the real dangers of the technology or the legitimate fears many of us have. But this episode is about why I think those fears, while understandable, are missing the point of what creativity actually is.🎧Check out my music: https://scottmclemore.bandcamp.com/🤟Join the Patreon community: https://patreon.com/scottmclemore📭 The free newsletter goes deeper into ideas like these: https://ktfpod.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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What the Pope Gets about AI and Creativity
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