Pablo Bernal sscc analyzes the impact of technology on the human condition, warning about the loss of critical skills and the need for a “digital asceticism” to protect the essence of the individual.
Humanity is not simply going through an era of change, but rather a definitive “change of epoch” marked by Artificial Intelligence (AI). This is affirmed by Pablo Bernal, a religious of the Sacred Hearts and coordinator of youth ministry, who in a recent appearance on the program Cruzando Fronteras outlined the anthropological and ethical challenges that this technology poses to contemporary society.
For Pablo, the main risk lies in the “technological naivety” with which society has adopted these tools. Using a pedagogical analogy, he distinguishes between search engines such as Google, which act as “librarians” referring users to human sources, and generative AI, which he defines as a “noble savage” that has learned to combine symbols on its own. “AI does not know; it remembers and predicts probabilistically,” he warns, stressing that these systems are incapable of distinguishing truth from invention, falling into what are known as “hallucinations.”
The danger of cognitive atrophy
One of the most alarming points of his analysis is the phenomenon of deskilling, or the loss of skills. By delegating tasks such as argumentative writing, bibliographic research, or even the synthesis of ideas to algorithms, human beings risk diminishing their capacity for independent thought. The religious thinker urges educators not to ban technology, but to transform assessment methods: “We must foster critical thinking—not empty skepticism, but the ability to question what interests lie behind each answer.”
Functional intelligence versus intelligence of the heart
From a humanistic perspective, Pablo advocates for “embodied intelligence.” Unlike AI, which possesses a purely functional intelligence, human beings are relational and emotional. “Christianity is an interpersonal transmission; only a human can bring good news to another,” he explains, pointing out that over-digitalization threatens to create “disembodied” worlds where real encounter disappears.
Faced with this scenario, the expert proposes three priorities: technical training so as not to treat AI as magic, the promotion of critical thinking, and a “digital asceticism.” The latter consists of deliberately performing tasks without technological assistance for the simple pleasure of keeping one’s own abilities trained. In a time of massive investment in Silicon Valley, Pablo Bernal concludes that, in order to preserve what is human, the recipe remains the same as it was centuries ago: deep thinking, poetry, and love.
Full interview at this link: https://goo.su/EIiRIRv
01/14/2026