In recent months I’ve found myself asking more and more complex questions via Google’s artificial intelligence search tool. Everything from how to solve a website coding issue to obscure sporting statistical requests.
The rapid responses have amazed me. Answers to problems that previously took hours to solve are displayed within seconds, even with links to sources.
With such powerful, efficient tools at our disposal, one might ask the question: what more do we need? Surely nothing can beat such tools?
But Pope Leo XIV believes there is something superior to AI – the human mind and heart.
In his recent encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas – literally meaning ‘magnificent humanity’ – the Pope recognises the advantages of digital technologies that can accurately compute vast quantities of data at lightning speed. But he also affirms that the human person has a unique strength that technology can’t replicate – the ability to learn and grow from mistakes:
“A technology that merely classifies and optimises what already exists can, however unintentionally, become an obstacle to change and growth. For an algorithm, an error is a flaw to be corrected; for a person, however, an error can be a catalyst for profound change… No computational system, however sophisticated, can create a heart that gives itself, or a conscience that discerns good from evil.” (n. 128; 233)
Human beings make mistakes. Lots of them. Sometimes we learn from such mistakes immediately; other times we make the same mistake multiple times before we change our ways.
Regardless, there is a value to our mistakes when they help us to grow and to develop character. They are part of what makes us human.
Scripture is littered with prominent individuals who make significant mistakes. For example, the apostle Peter denies knowing Jesus three times. Upon realising the gravity of his mistake, Peter “went outside and wept bitterly” (Luke 22:62).
Peter demonstrates the human capacity to express sincere remorse for one’s mistakes and to learn from them. As we know, Peter went on to lead the early Church and proclaim the risen Christ to many for the rest of his life. By humbly recognising his mistake, Peter grew as a person and as a leader.
We can do the same. Instead of seeking perfection, remember that we inevitably make mistakes and resolve to turn those into opportunities for personal growth.
Further reading
The Power of Mistakes: Learning on the Road to Success (De La Salle District of ANZPPNG)
Image: Lightstock
Words: Matthew Biddle