In this episode of the Moral Imagination Podcast I speak with John Johnson, founder and CEO of Patmos Technologies. We discuss some of the philosophical and theological dimensions of AI, the error of reducing the person to consciousness, the nature of personhood, the problem of commodification, and possible implications of artificial intelligence on human identity freedom, and morality.
One Note: This podcast was recorded before Pope Leo XIV released his encyclical, Magnificent Humanity which is why we don’t refer to it.
A key theme we discuss the importance or embodiment in understanding the human person.
We discuss the dangers of data centralization, behavior modification, the alignment problem in AI. John also shares some of his insights on how he built his company, Patmos to provide services in a “parallel” economy that respects individual agency and freedom and tries to bypass the alliance between the state and big tech.
We discuss a number of things including:
The error of viewing the person in terms of digital technology and AI
The limitations of “consciousness” in understanding personhood
The importance of the body in understanding our humanity
Artificial Intelligence and the Alignment problem
The philosophical underpinnings of transhumanism
Artificial Intelligence versus different ways of knowing —including inarticulate rationality and connatural knowing.
Theological reflections on digital technology and artificial intelligence.
Behavior modification generally and especially for vulnerable populations.
The risk of AI and centralization of data
John also shares insights from the Prodigal Son and the Book of Revelation
Key Themes Outline
Section 1: Introduction & Context
00:00 – 08:50
Introduction to John Johnson - founder and CEO of Patmos Technologies
The rise of technocracy and its implications for individual freedom
The alliance between the state and big tech as a structural problem
Section 2: Patmos Technologies & the “Parallel Economy”
05:46 – 12:06
Patmos was built as a direct response to technocratic challenges
The goal is to provide services in a “parallel” economy that respects individual agency and freedom
Johnson’s insight: it is possible to build outside the dominant tech ecosystem
Section 3: The Nature of AI & the Human Person
12:06 – 32:22
The error of viewing the person through the lens of digital technology and AI
How to think about using a tool versus subordinating ourselves to a tool
Consciousness alone is insufficient for understanding personhood
The error of mechanistic visions of the person
Aquinas on the intellect and the soul
The importance of the body in defining our humanity
AI versus different ways of knowing — including inarticulate rationality and connatural knowing
Section 4: Moral & Theological Dimensions
34:44 – 49:22
The body and transcendence in technology
“The Beast and the Lamb” — AI’s moral implications drawn from the Book of Revelation
Transhumanism and its quest to redefine humanity
Eschatological aspect of transhumanism
The human intellect: how we understand knowledge and love
Theological reflections on identity and agency
Section 5: Commodification of Persons & the Convenience Trap
56:27 – 01:05:22
The risk of the self being commodified through convenience
The Prodigal Son as a parable about substance and value — what we give away and what we lose
Behavior modification as a key tool of technocratic control, especially for vulnerable populations
Section 6: Data, Decentralization & Soft Digital Power
01:05:22 – 01:15:39
AI and its limitations in replicating human interaction
The dangers of centralizing data
On soft digital power — control exercised without overt force:
Decentralization as a practical and principled response
Section 7: The Anthropological Battle & Carving Out Space
01:18:26 – 01:22:43
AI and technology represent an anthropological battle — a contest over what it means to be human
The alignment problem as both a technical and moral challenge
The need to carve out intentional space for humanity within a technological world
