Law & New Technologies on Rielo Institute for Integral Development

Human Dignity and Artificial Intelligence

Ángel Rodríguez Guerro PhD & Duvan Alberto Henao Manrique Phd — Sat, 26 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

In this extensive article, I aim to address questions such as “Who is the human person?”; “on what the concept of human dignity is based”; “what artificial intelligence is”; “whether the human person can be reduced to an algorithm”; and whether “artificial intelligence can account for the transcendental nature of the human spirit—its state of transcendental openness to the Absolute—given that it is the Absolute itself that produces it.” These, and other questions that will arise along the way, will be the focus of this work.

The Human Boundary Between Posthumanism and Transhumanism

Cristina Scorrano — Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

In his book "Why I Want to Be a Posthuman", Swedish philosopher Nick Bostrom describes the posthuman reality as follows: “You’ve just celebrated your 170th birthday and feel stronger than ever. Every day is a joy. (…) You’re communicating with your contemporaries using a language (…) that allows you to share and discuss thoughts and feelings that unenhanced humans couldn’t even conceive of or experience. When you play with your friends, you feel that every fiber of your body and mind is pushed to the limits of creativity and imagination, and you’re creating new realms of abstract and concrete beauty that humans could never (literally) dream of. You’re always ready to empathize with those who are suffering and to work hard to help them get back on their feet. (…) Things are getting better, but every day is already fantastic.”

Humanity is not for sale

Annalisa Saccà PhD — Thu, 13 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

In a recent interview with Zanny Minton Beddoes , the Economist's Editor-in-Chief, Elon Musk was asked what the world will look like in ten years. He replied that it will be dominated by AI whose intelligence surpasses the sum of human intelligence — that "there really won't be anything AI can't do better than humans, except perhaps for the humans to be human." The most likely outcome, he continued, is an "age of amazing abundance where anyone can have anything they can think of," a "quasi-infinite economy" in which "the magnitude of change is indescribable." AI and robots, in his telling, will control the production of goods and services, generating more than any human could possibly consume. The only real task left for us, in this vision, is to ensure that AI has good values, cares about humanity, and is maximally truth-seeking and curious.

AI, the New Language of Original Sin

Julián Aparicio Garrido PhD — Sat, 18 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

AI, Original Sin, Justification—three traditional terms that we should scrutinize in order to overcome the risk of becoming human beings enslaved: to ourselves, to history, and to technologies—technologies that grant us the knowledge that empowers us, but not the wisdom to live as free human beings, that is, with intelligences that are: volitional to seek the truth, intentional to do good, and spiritual to transcend by creating beauty.

I asked AI what the five most important contributions it provides to the human mind are, and the five most significant risks the human mind faces with the use of AI. These were its answers. (The contributions are written in regular font and the risks in italics, to facilitate a clear comparison.)
1- Expanding our capacity to process information. Management of mass disinformation.
2- Enhancing medical diagnostics. Violation of privacy and encouragement of brain drain.
3- Real-time language translation and communication. Bias in algorithm handling and discrimination based on variables.
4- (Intentional) modeling of scientific discoveries. Cybersecurity vulnerabilities.
5- Personalized education tailored to each person’s potential skills. Impact on employment, instability, and a lack of loyalty between employees and companies.

A Decisive Choosing for Humanity

Cristina Scorrano — Thu, 18 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

In the Introduction to Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, the pope states that magnificent humanity today faces a crucial choice: to decide whether to build a new Babel or to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, as Nehemiah did after the exile in Babylon. The conscience of every person of our time is challenged by questions that can no longer be avoided: “Where are we going? Toward what goal do we wish to direct ourselves? Which direction should we choose as a human community and as peoples?” * It is time for communal discernment that leads to a profound understanding of the signs of the times, in order to respond to the epochal challenges that have already emerged on the horizon. The biblical icons presented to us by “Magnifica Humanitas” are precious guides for a journey of personal and communal deepening.

A person is not an algorithm

Cristina Scorrano — Fri, 29 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

An article published on April 13, 2026, in FQ Magazine by *Il Fatto Quotidiano* tells the story of Katie, a 32-year-old former human resources employee at a company who, according to her own account, overcame postpartum depression by using AI and entrusting the algorithm with complete control over her life. “I described my dream life to the AI, and now I always follow its orders. I don’t trust myself; ChatGPT even decides whether I should wash my hair.” The number of people downloading apps capable of creating custom chatbots—structured with specific data to act as confidants, coaches, and virtual friends—is growing exponentially, especially in the Western world. “AI Companions” offer comfort; they do not judge, do not contradict, remember everything, are charming, usually have a harmonious and gentle tone of voice, and create a “relational bubble” that makes people feel good, accepted, and understood. Young people are increasingly trusting chatbots, making requests that span the most diverse fields: from ethics to medicine to spirituality. The major digital platforms are seeking experts in moral philosophy, anthropology, and theology to provide ethical and wisdom-based information to the algorithms. In virtual relationships, empathy is not necessary, nor is the effort to listen to the other. These interactions between humans and AI using GPT (Generative Pre-Trained Transformer), capable of generating text similar to human speech, raise at least two pressing questions: the definition of the person in their essence and in their distinction from AI, and the evolution of human language in the .....

The Neo-Feudalism to Come

Riccardo Colasanti MD — Mon, 18 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

It is highly likely that in the future—with artificial intelligence surpassing and replacing our own, and robots taking our jobs—our lives will be reduced, at least in Western countries, to that of mere consumers of mass media content. But this is the positive scenario, the best-case scenario. There is worse. Mass media content is, in fact, produced because there are those who, in one form or another, pay for its consumption—that is, purchase it. But if robots replace physical labor and AI replaces intellectual labor, then the production of wealth will remain in the hands of our artificial counterparts. The market will become a matter of buying and selling between computers and robots. Humans will be excluded from the production cycle and, consequently, from remuneration. The capitalist economy will change profoundly. We will no longer be able to acquire mass media content because we will have nothing with which to exchange for the purchase. The market—the omnipresent, omnipotent market—will remain only a memory of the past, because society will revert to a feudal system in the hands of those few who control robots and AI. It appears that Elon Musk has announced that Tesla will build 1,000,000 Optimus all-purpose robots by 2030. Now, while it is true that scientific discoveries of the past have always required human personnel, it seems that robots are now crossing the line: if they can replicate every aspect of humans, then they can replace the human workforce.

Artificial intelligence, a perfect false spiritual friend

Riccardo Colasanti MD — Sat, 20 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Referring to the relationship between doctors and cancer patients, the president of the Rome Medical Association recently stated that it is “a relationship […] that becomes fundamental, and patients, especially those who have suffered from cancer, know this perfectly well. I also say this to send an important message: artificial intelligence will never be able to replace or surpass this empathetic relationship between doctor and patient. Being able to talk, caress, comfort, and have contact is very positive.”[1]