Catholic Tech Table

Andrew explains in plain language how large language models like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini are ACtrained and why that matters for ministry and fundraising. He notes what training doesn’t provide: human-like reasoning or your parish’s specific context. He ends with three weekly challenges: a pattern test, a context test, and checking the model’s cutoff limits.00:00 Welcome And Goal01:03 How LLMs Learn Patterns02:17 Ministry Fundraising Analogy03:05 Three Training Stages03:08 Pre Training Basics03:50 Fine Tuning For Helpfulness04:26 Alignment And RLHF05:07 Why Training Stages Matter05:49 What Training Does Not Teach06:53 Three Practice Challenges08:31 Wrap Up And Next Episode

Andrew Robinson, president and owner of Petrus Development, explains the differences between Google search and large language models (ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Grok) for Catholic Church and nonprofit fundraising work. He frames Google as a “librarian” for finding current, source-based information (news, rules, reviews, verifiable facts) and LLMs as “conversation/research partners” for brainstorming, drafting content, and simplifying complex topics.Andrew outlines key LLM limitations, including training cutoff dates, hallucinations/confident inaccuracies, and lack of knowledge about an organization’s specific documents unless provided. The episode ends with three practical challenges. Andrew invites feedback via [email protected] and previews the next episode on how LLMs are trained.00:00 Welcome to the Catholic Tech Table (and what this show covers)01:10 Google vs. LLMs: The Librarian vs. Conversation Partner Analogy03:01 When to Use Google: Current Info, Fact-Checking, Reviews (Fundraising Examples)03:56 When to Use an LLM: Brainstorming, Drafting, Explaining Complex Topics05:11 Best of Both Worlds: Combining Google Research + LLM Writing Help05:36 LLM Limitations: Cutoff Dates, Hallucinations, and a Real-World Example08:05 Another LLM Weakness: It Doesn’t Know Your Organization’s Internal Info08:55 3 Practical Challenges to Try This Week (Google, LLM, Then Both Together)10:29 Wrap-Up, Key Takeaways, and Next Episode Preview

Join Andrew Robison and Rhen Hoehn from Petrus Development as they explore the transformative role of AI in the Church and in faith-based fundraising. In this episode, they discuss the necessity for Catholic organizations to be involved in AI development to create meaningful, efficient tools tailored to their needs. Key topics include the history and current landscape of AI, its applications, potential risks, and how Petrus Development is taking steps to develop AI tools specifically for Catholic fundraisers. Stay tuned for more educational content about AI, upcoming tools, and how they can serve your mission.00:00 Welcome and Introduction00:29 Why AI Matters to Petrus Development01:01 The Current Landscape of AI02:50 AI's Role in Catholic Organizations04:53 Historical Parallels: Technology Adoption08:19 Practical Applications of AI Today10:08 Petrus Development's AI Initiatives12:12 Join the Conversation