Center for Catholic Studies and International Academy of Catholic Leaders Explore AI’s Human Impact
Wednesday, October 14, 2026
Artificial intelligence is changing how people learn, manage money and receive care. On Saturday, October 24, 2026, the Center for Catholic Studies at Seton Hall University and the International Academy of Catholic Leaders will bring educators, financial professionals and healthcare leaders together to examine the responsibilities that come with those changes — and the human relationships at stake.
Their seminar, “Ethics and Values in the Era of AI: Magnifica Humanitas and Our Shared Future,” will draw on Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, to connect Catholic ethical reflection with practical questions facing these professions.
“Pope Leo has offered the Church and the world timely guidance at this pivotal moment in human history,” said Patrick Manning, Ph.D., director of the Center for Catholic Studies.
Manning will moderate an education panel featuring Sebastian Budinich of Fordham University and Chris Tyrrell and Douglas C. Minson of Classical Intelligence. Their perspectives will connect emerging classroom tools with questions about critical thinking, relationships and the formation of the whole person.
In an update to the previously announced program, Danielle Papandrea, managing director at Merrill Wealth Management, will join the finance conversation in place of Rocco Papandrea. She will be in conversation with Gloria Garafulich-Grabois, director of the G.K. Chesterton Institute for Faith and Culture, exploring the responsibilities that accompany financial innovation.
Elena Herrero of SOMOS Community Care and Diego Ponieman, MD, MPH, of the James J. Peters Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center will bring the discussion into healthcare, where questions of trust and accountability intersect with the personal experience of giving and receiving care.
Facilitated table discussions and moderated Q&A will give participants opportunities to connect these perspectives with their own work and communities. The gathering builds on Seton Hall’s January 2026 AI seminar, continuing a conversation across professions about human dignity and the common good.
The seminar is offered in partnership with the G.K. Chesterton Institute for Faith and Culture, the Joseph A. Unanue Latino Institute and Campus Ministry, and in collaboration with Basilica Medical Management and SOMOS Community Care.
The seminar is open to all members of the Seton Hall community and the general public. Registration is free and required by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, October 20. In-person and virtual attendance options are available. Visit the seminar webpage to register and view the full program. No technical background in AI is required.
Categories: Faith and Service
