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  • AI in the Workplace: Helpful Tool or Overhyped Magic?

    AI in the Workplace: Helpful Tool or Overhyped Magic?

    Nerding Out with That Nerdy Catholic
    Nerding Out with That Nerdy Catholic
    AI in the Workplace: Helpful Tool or Overhyped Magic?
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    Show Notes: AI in the Workplace: Helpful Tool or Overhyped Magic?

    Podcast: Nerding Out with That Nerdy Catholic Hosts: Seth Paine (Programming/Video Production background) & Cesar Rios (Electrical Engineering background) Guest: Lee Sondeno, Director of Young Adult Ministry at St. Victoria (Victoria, MN) and 18-year IT industry veteran

    Episode Overview

    In this episode, the team ditches the purely theological speculation to look at Artificial Intelligence through the lens of practical, real-world tech experience. Combining backgrounds in programming, engineering, and IT, Seth, Cesar, and Lee dissect the current corporate hype surrounding AI, share cautionary tales of AI errors in the wild, and discuss the critical differences between using AI as an automation tool versus blindly trusting it as a “person in a box.”

    Key Discussion Points

    1. The “Test but Verify” Rule & AI Hallucinations
    • The Vatican AI Policy Blunder: Lee shares a firsthand account of a company that tried to draft an official AI policy. To ensure it was aligned properly, executives tasked an AI agent with drafting the policy specifically based on official Vatican documents.
    • Two Layers of Fabrications: While the document initially looked professional and included realistic-looking sources and URLs, a deep dive revealed the AI had completely hallucinated. The links went nowhere, and the specific “quotes” attributed to the Vatican didn’t actually exist anywhere in the real documents.
    • Even the Creators Agree: Lee shares a striking quote from OpenAI’s Sam Altman admitting that ChatGPT should be the technology you trust the least right now because of its severe tendency to hallucinate.
    1. The Illusion of the “Magic Box” vs. Actual Efficiency
    • The Coworker with Bravado: Seth compares AI to a overly confident coworker who acts like they know everything, easily gains unearned responsibilities, but is ultimately just fabricating answers to move up.
    • Workplace Realities: Despite Wall Street Journal reports highlighting that AI is often increasing—rather than lightening—workplace intensity and density, many companies have blind faith in the tech.
    • The Over-Complication of Code: Seth and Cesar share an experiment where they asked an AI model to write a snippet of code. While human programmers could write the clean script in 3 to 5 lines, the AI generated 30 bloated lines to accomplish the same basic task. The time required to repeatedly prompt, check, and debug the bloated output often doubles or triples the work time.
    1. The Tech Layoff Hype & Corporate Bubbles
    • Blaming AI for “Right-Sizing”: The guys discuss recent corporate announcements where tech giants like Meta laid off thousands of employees, explicitly claiming AI was replacing the workforce.
    • The Shareholder Game: Lee points out that tech companies like Meta doubled their workforce between 2020 and 2022 (e.g., jumping from 40k to 80k employees). The current wave of layoffs is actually a natural corrections of the pandemic-era IT bubble, but executives lean heavily into the “AI replacement” narrative because it drives shareholder excitement and raises stock values.
    • The “Follow the Leader” Mentality: Cesar explains how non-tech legacy industries (like glass container manufacturing) are being led by financial or commercial executives who blindly copy tech giants without understanding how the underlying technology actually works.
    1. How to Properly Use AI: A Tool, Not a Replacement
    • Historical Context (The Mechanical Turk): Lee references the famous 18th-century “chess-playing automation” machine, which amazed crowds who thought it was magic, when in reality, it was just a skilled human chess player hidden inside a box. Similarly, modern AI is often just repackaging and regurgitating human labor.
    • The Dreamweaver vs. FrontPage Analogy: Seth maps the current AI landscape back to 1990s web design. Tools like Adobe Dreamweaver gave programmers clean, adjustable foundational visual layouts , whereas Microsoft FrontPage spat out heavily bloated, messy nested code that required endless human tweaking.
    • Sophisticated Prompting Requires Human Experience: The team concludes that AI can be a spectacular automation tool—such as speeding up visual layouts or generating basic video descriptions—but it only functions well if the human using it has the knowledge and experience to ask the right questions and rigidly cross-check the final output.

    Notable Quotes

    • “It should be the tech that you don’t trust that much. AI hallucinates.” — Sam Altman (quoted by Lee Sondeno)
    • “It feels like a coworker that has such bravado and such confidence… and then at some point you say, ‘Wait a second, this guy has been making all this stuff up all along.’” — Seth Paine
    • “It’s not that AI can do the work, it’s that it is a tool and that’s the thing that nobody seems to understand. It’s a very good tool. It’s not a very good person.” — Cesar Rios

    Links & Resources Mentioned

  • Why Work When We Can AI? The Purpose of Work in the Rise of AI 🤖🤔

    Why Work When We Can AI? The Purpose of Work in the Rise of AI 🤖🤔

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    Nerding Out with That Nerdy Catholic
    Why Work When We Can AI? The Purpose of Work in the Rise of AI 🤖🤔
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    Will AI Kill Your Creativity? Work, Labor, and Automation 🤖💼

    Can machines truly replace human creativity, or are we just letting them enslave our minds? In this episode of Nerding Out with That Nerdy Catholic, Seth and Cesar dive deep into the ethics of artificial intelligence, labor, and what it means to be a “creator” in the age of automation.

    We trace the history of work all the way back to the Old Testament guidelines on human dignity in Exodus and Deuteronomy, fast-forward through the Industrial Revolution and Pope Leo XIII’s historic encyclical Rerum Novarum, and bring it right into modern times with recent insights from Pope Francis and Pope Leo XIV on the “cognitive industrial revolution.”

    Is AI a powerful tool for human advancement, or are we setting ourselves up for cognitive overload, burnout, and a bland, “pop-music” culture of regurgitated ideas? Join the conversation!

    📌 What We Cover In This Episode:

    • The “Plus One” Way: How God slowly guided humanity toward dignity and away from harsh labor practices.
    • The Industrial Revolution Shift: Moving from independent artisans to repetitive factory lines—and now, repetitive cubicle lines.
    • The Mirage of Productivity: A recent UC Berkeley study showing how generative AI might actually be driving workers toward burnout rather than giving them free time.
    • Can AI Create? Why there’s a massive difference between regurgitating data and the divine, human spark of creative epiphany.
    • Pope Francis on AI: A look at his historic address to the G7 on avoiding a “throwaway culture.”

    🕒 Timestamps:

    • 00:00 – Opening Prayer & Introduction
    • 02:00 – Pope Leo XIV & the Legacy of Rerum Novarum
    • 06:05 – Biblical Labor: Dignity, Rest, and the Old Testament
    • 17:20 – The Industrial Revolution: When Humans Became Machines
    • 24:30 – Modern Automation: Are We Automating the Mind?
    • 32:45 – AI Burnout: The UC Berkeley / Harvard Business Review Study
    • 37:30 – Pope Francis’ G7 Address: Tool vs. Replacement
    • 41:15 – The Creative Epiphany: Why AI Can’t Innovate Art or Music
    • 54:10 – Final Thoughts & Where to Send Your Questions

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    📚 Show Notes & Links:

    Please keep our mission in your prayers. Don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode!

    #FaithAndTech #AIEthics #CatholicPodcast #HumanDignity #ArtificialIntelligence #Creativity

  • Can Catholic Doctrine Survive the AI Revolution? First Impressions of Pope Leo’s Magnifica Humanitas

    Can Catholic Doctrine Survive the AI Revolution? First Impressions of Pope Leo’s Magnifica Humanitas

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    Nerding Out with That Nerdy Catholic
    Can Catholic Doctrine Survive the AI Revolution? First Impressions of Pope Leo’s Magnifica Humanitas
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    The Pope speaks on AI! In this episode of Nerding Out with That Nerdy Catholic, Seth, Cesar, and Lee give our first reactions to Pope Leo XIV’s new encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, and the position of the Catholic Church in relation to the impact of Artificial Intelligence on our world. The intent of Pope Leo’s magnum opus is unpacked as we also draw parallels to sci-fi dystopian and utopic universes. Does Catholic Doctrine have a fighting chance against the Machine? Listen in as we begin looking at the Pope’s urgent call to prioritize humanity above all else!

  • What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You, AI & Privacy

    What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You, AI & Privacy

    Nerding Out with That Nerdy Catholic
    Nerding Out with That Nerdy Catholic
    What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You, AI & Privacy
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    Is AI spying on you? In this episode of Nerding Out with That Nerdy Catholic, Seth and Cesar kick off their series on the ethics of artificial intelligence with a deep dive into AI privacy and AI data collection.

    They try to break down what really happens to your data when you use tools like ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, and Google Gemini, and why digital privacy matters more than most people realize. From Microsoft’s controversial Microsoft Recall feature to the erosion of end-to-end encryption, they explore how with artificial intelligence, privacy is being reshaped in ways that touch everyone.

    Topics covered:

    • AI and your data: what AI agents collect and where it goes
    • How to run AI locally on your own computer with Ollama, the best way to keep your data truly private
    • Using a local AI model so your conversations never leave your device
    • The free/open source software movement and what it means for AI transparency
    • Anonymity in cyberspace, what it actually takes to stay private
    • Apple’s CSAM detection and what it reveals about the limits of encryption
    • AI ethics and privacy vs. security: a faith and technology perspective on human nature and trust
    • Practical tips for protecting your information online

    Whether you’re a tech enthusiast or just trying to be a more informed digital citizen, this episode will help you make prudent, informed decisions about the AI tools you use every day.

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  • Going Deeper into AI: The Guts of ChatCPT and Large Language Models

    Going Deeper into AI: The Guts of ChatCPT and Large Language Models

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    Nerding Out with That Nerdy Catholic
    Going Deeper into AI: The Guts of ChatCPT and Large Language Models
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    In this episode, we take some time to look under the hood of how a Large Language Model (LLM) like ChatCPT works. Building off of the previous episode where we looked at neural networks, the basis for all AI, we explore how these neural networks are used to comb through large quantities of text, find its meaning, and respond with language that is easy to understand.

    We move beyond simple neural networks to discuss the intricacies of Transformer Architecture and Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) and how this approach is central to understanding modern artificial intelligence and machine learning applications.

    We also touch on the benefits of running your own local AI model and agent and how we use Ollama at That Nerdy Catholic to help with some of our tasks. You want to know how LLM actually works? Continue this exploration of AI with us.

    Links from Episode:

    Attention is all you need: https://arxiv.org/pdf/1706.03762

    We want your input for this series, so head over to https://thatnerdycatholic.com/ai to share your thoughts and experiences.

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  • The Technology Behind ChatGPT: Neural Networks and the AI Revolution

    The Technology Behind ChatGPT: Neural Networks and the AI Revolution

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    The Technology Behind ChatGPT: Neural Networks and the AI Revolution
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    What is AI, and how does it actually work?

    Artificial Intelligence has exploded in popularity with tools like ChatGPT, but the technology behind it has been developing for decades. In this episode, Seth and Cesar break down Artificial Intelligence for beginners, explaining where AI came from, how it evolved, and why it suddenly became so powerful in recent years.

     

    Starting with the early ideas of AI in the 1950s, they trace the key breakthroughs that led to today’s revolution in machine learning and large language models (LLMs). One turning point was the groundbreaking 2017 research paper “Attention Is All You Need,” developed by Google researchers, which introduced the transformer architecture that powers many modern AI systems.

    In Part 1 of this two-episode series, they focus on the core building block of modern AI: neural networks.

    • What is a neural network?
    • How do artificial neural networks compare to the neurons in the human brain?
    • How do machines actually learn from data?
    • What’s the difference between supervised learning and unsupervised learning?

    If you’ve ever wondered how ChatGPT works, how machines learn patterns, or why AI suddenly seems everywhere, this episode will give you a clear foundation without requiring advanced math.

    For viewers who want to dive deeper into the mathematics behind neural networks, Seth and Cesar also reference the excellent visual explanations from the YouTube series by Grant Sanderson on the channel 3Blue1Brown.

    If you’re curious about Artificial Intelligence, neural networks, machine learning, and how modern AI models are trained, this video is the perfect place to start.

  • AI and Us: A Future in Question. can We Stop AI if we need to?

    AI and Us: A Future in Question. can We Stop AI if we need to?

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    Nerding Out with That Nerdy Catholic
    AI and Us: A Future in Question. can We Stop AI if we need to?
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    With AI already embedded in our daily lives, it’s important that we have a critical conversation about its impact. AI has been touted as a game-changer for humanity, but what does it truly mean for us? What are the ethical issues surrounding AI? What does it mean for AI to reason, to decide, and to have conversations? Can AI take over the world and bring about a utopia or a dystopia? Will AI liberate us or enslave us? What is the role of the AI vs the role of the companies behind it?

    From the loss of human agency to the rise of job displacement, the stakes are high. In this series, we’ll explore the philosophical, social, and economic implications of AI. We’ll examine the parallels between the Industrial Revolution of the 19th century and our current technological revolution, and discuss what it means for humanity to take control of AI rather than be controlled by it.

    Join us as we venture into the world of AI and examine its implications on society, economy, and individual freedoms.

    We want your input for this series, so head over to https://thatnerdycatholic.com/ai to share your thoughts and experiences.

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  • What Happens When Machines Do Everything? – Nerding Out ep36

    What Happens When Machines Do Everything? – Nerding Out ep36

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    Nerding Out with That Nerdy Catholic
    What Happens When Machines Do Everything? – Nerding Out ep36
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    What kind of future can we expect with the rise of AI? Seth and Cesar are beginning a series on AI. They will discuss whether artificial intelligence will help us live a better life so we can pursue the deeper meanings of life and what kind of AI dangers  we need to consider.

    Join us as we ask the big questions and prepare to dive deep into some of the answers in the upcoming weeks. Will machines allow us to focus on art, music, and philosophy, or will other factors come into play? What language do we use to describe AI? What happens when we start to treat AI as a person? We want your input for this series, so head over to https://thatnerdycatholic.com/ai to share your thoughts and experiences.

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  • Newton’s Physics and God: The Story Behind the Science – Nerding Out ep35

    Newton’s Physics and God: The Story Behind the Science – Nerding Out ep35

    Nerding Out with That Nerdy Catholic
    Nerding Out with That Nerdy Catholic
    Newton’s Physics and God: The Story Behind the Science – Nerding Out ep35
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    We often think of scientists as people who are all about logic and reason, but what’s fascinating is that many of them have actually had a deep faith in their lives. Scientists like Newton, Kepler, and Halley were trying to understand the natural world through science, while also believing in a higher power. Newton even said that seeing the universe as just a machine was missing the point – there must be a creator behind it all! But then came the scientific breakthroughs of the 19th century, and suddenly people started thinking they’d figured out everything through science. This way of thinking became so ingrained that many people began to see faith as something old-fashioned and unnecessary. But what if I told you that’s not necessarily the case? There are still scientists today who believe in a higher power, and who think that science and faith aren’t mutually exclusive. It’s time to rethink our assumptions about the natural world and our place within it – there’s so much more to explore! So, let’s keep the conversation going and see where it takes us!

     

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