Jerome Novotny , OMI – If I could sit down with a group of university students and young adults today, there is one conversation I would want us to have. It would not begin with computers or robots. It would begin with a much more important question: What kind of person do you want to become?
As you prepare for your future, you will make decisions about your studies, your career, your friendships, and perhaps one day your marriage and family. At the same time, you are entering a world where Artificial Intelligence (AI) is becoming part of everyday life. Technology will influence many of those decisions. But it should never define the person you become. That is why this article is not really about AI. It is about you. It is about building a life of wisdom, character, and faith in a world that is changing faster than ever before.
The eight questions that follow are an invitation to think beyond technology and to consider something far more important: how to build a life of character in an age of Artificial Intelligence.
1. Think for Yourself: Am I Still Learning to Think for Myself?
Imagine your teacher assigns a research paper. Within seconds, AI can generate ideas, organize an outline, and even write a complete essay. That may seem like an easy solution, but education is about much more than finishing an assignment. It is about learning to think. School teaches us how to ask good questions, solve problems, communicate clearly, and persevere when something is difficult. Those abilities develop only when we exercise them. If technology does all the thinking for us, we may complete the task, but we miss the opportunity to grow.
AI can be an outstanding teacher. It can explain difficult concepts, provide examples, and help us understand subjects more deeply. The key is to let AI become a guide – not a substitute for our own effort. God gave each of us the ability to reason, imagine, and create. Those gifts become stronger when we use them. Every challenge is an opportunity to grow in wisdom.
Takeaway:—>(Don’t let AI replace your ability to think.)
2. Discern the Truth: How Do I Know What Is Really True?
Artificial Intelligence can provide answers almost instantly, but speed does not guarantee accuracy. AI sometimes makes mistakes, misunderstands questions, or presents information that sounds convincing without being completely true. That is why discernment is one of the most important qualities you can develop. Discernment means asking thoughtful questions, checking reliable sources, and refusing to accept something simply because it appeared on a screen.
Jesus said, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32). For Christians, truth is more than collecting facts. It is a way of living. Loving the truth means being honest, humble enough to admit when we are wrong, and willing to keep learning throughout our lives. AI can help us discover information, but wisdom grows through prayer, careful study, experience, and conversations with people who have earned our trust.
Takeaway: —>(Always seek truth before convenience.)
3. Belong: Who Is Helping Me Become the Person I Want to Be?
Think about the people who have shaped your life. Perhaps it is your parents, grandparents, teachers, coaches, priests, or close friends. They have influenced you not simply by what they taught but by the way they lived. Technology can connect us with information, but it can never replace genuine relationships. No computer can encourage you after a disappointment, celebrate your successes, forgive your mistakes, or love you unconditionally. Those are gifts that only people can give. As AI becomes a larger part of daily life, make sure it never replaces the time you spend with family and friends.
Saint Paul reminds us, “Bad company ruins good morals.” (1 Corinthians 15:33) The opposite is also true. Good companions help us become the people God calls us to be. AI may answer your questions, but it cannot shape your heart. That is the work of loving relationships and God’s grace.
Takeaway: —>(People shape your heart more than technology ever will.)
4. Choose Wisely: Is Technology Helping Me – or Controlling Me?
Have you ever picked up your phone to answer one message and, before you knew it, thirty minutes had disappeared? Most of us have. Technology is designed to capture our attention, and AI will make many digital experiences even more personalized in the years ahead. There is nothing wrong with enjoying technology. AI can help us learn faster, organize our work, and solve problems more efficiently. The problem begins when we stop making intentional choices and simply react to whatever appears on our screens. Instead of using technology, we slowly allow technology to use us.
The Bible teaches that one of the marks of maturity is self-control. True freedom is not doing whatever we feel like doing; it is having the strength to choose what is good, even when distractions compete for our attention. Small decisions make a big difference. For example, putting your phone away during family meals, giving your full attention to a friend, setting aside time each day for prayer, or finishing your responsibilities before opening social media. Saint Paul reminds us, “I will not be mastered by anything.” (1 Corinthians 6:12). Artificial Intelligence should remain your servant, never your master.
Takeaway: —>(Use technology – don’t let it use you.)
5. Grow in Character: Who Is Shaping My Character?
Character is not formed in one dramatic moment. It is built little by little through the choices we make every day. The way we speak to others, the media we consume, the friendships we choose, and the habits we develop all shape the person we are becoming. AI will increasingly recommend books, videos, music, and ideas based on what we already enjoy. Sometimes that can be helpful. At other times it can quietly narrow our perspective and reinforce habits that are not leading us toward God’s plan for our lives.
That is why it is important to ask a simple question: Are my daily choices helping me become more like Christ? The fruits of the Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control – are not produced by technology. They grow as we walk with God and practice them in our relationships with others (Galatians 5:22-23). Every day, your habits are writing the story of your life. Make sure they are helping you become the person God created you to be.
Takeaway: —>(Your daily habits become your character.)
6. Strive for Excellence: Am I Becoming a Person of Excellence?
AI makes many tasks easier. It can summarize chapters, solve equations, improve writing, and explain difficult concepts in seconds. These are valuable tools, but they also tempt us to settle for the easiest answer instead of doing our very best. Excellence is not about being perfect. It is about giving your best effort with the gifts God has given you. Whether you are studying for an exam, learning a musical instrument, playing a sport, or serving others, real growth comes through practice, perseverance, and the willingness to learn from mistakes. AI can help you become more effective, but it cannot replace the discipline that builds wisdom or the effort that develops confidence. Those qualities are formed only by doing the work yourself.
Saint Paul encourages us, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord.” (Colossians 3:23). Whenever you use AI, ask yourself one simple question: Is this helping me become better, or is it simply making things easier? That question will help you use technology wisely while continuing to grow in excellence.
Takeaway: —>(Choose excellence over easy answers.)
7. Prepare for Tomorrow: What Kind of Future Am I Preparing For?
No one knows exactly what the future will look like. By the time you begin your career, AI will almost certainly have changed the way many people work, learn, and communicate. Some jobs will disappear, new careers will emerge, and technology will continue to advance in ways we cannot yet imagine. While that may sound uncertain, there is something reassuring to remember: every generation has faced change. What has never changed are the qualities that people value most. Families, employers, schools, and communities will always need people who are trustworthy, compassionate, dependable, and willing to learn. Preparing for the future is about more than mastering the latest technology. It is about becoming the kind of person who can adapt, continue learning, and use every gift God has given for the service of others.
Saint Paul writes, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds.” (Romans 12:2). If you continue growing in wisdom, character, and faith, you will be ready not only for tomorrow’s technology but also for tomorrow’s opportunities.
Takeaway: —>(Prepare for tomorrow by becoming the right person today.)
8. Build on Christ: What Is the Most Important Foundation for My Life?
By now you may have realized that this article is not really about Artificial Intelligence. AI is simply the reason we are asking a much more important question: What kind of person am I becoming? Technology will continue to change throughout your lifetime. Today’s innovations will eventually be replaced by something even newer. But the deepest needs of the human heart never change. We all long for truth, love, forgiveness, purpose, and hope. No computer can provide those gifts.
Only Christ can satisfy those deepest needs of the human heart. A relationship with Christ shapes every part of our lives. It teaches us how to love others, how to forgive, how to face disappointment, how to use our talents responsibly, and how to live with hope. Artificial Intelligence may help us answer questions, but Christ gives meaning to our lives. Jesus concluded the Sermon on the Mount with a powerful image. The wise person, He said, builds a house on solid rock. Storms will come, but the house will stand because its foundation is secure (Matthew 7:24-25). Your life will also face challenges. New technologies will appear. Society will continue to change. Yet if Christ is your foundation, you can meet every change with confidence because your life is built on the One who never changes.
Takeaway: —>(Build your life on Christ, the one foundation that never changes.)
Conclusion
As you prepare for the next chapter of your life, you will enter a world that continues to change at an extraordinary pace. Artificial Intelligence will influence the way people learn, work, communicate, and solve problems in ways that previous generations could scarcely have imagined. Learn about these new technologies. Use them wisely. Allow them to help you develop the gifts God has given you and to serve others with greater generosity and compassion.
At the same time, never lose sight of what matters most. The greatest decisions you will ever make are not about technology but about the person you are becoming. Every choice you make, every friendship you nurture, every challenge you face, and every act of kindness you offer is shaping your character. Long after today’s technology has been replaced by something new, people will remember you not for the tools you used but for the life you lived and the faith you shared.
My hope for you is simple. As you continue your studies, begin your career, and discover the vocation God has prepared for you, may you never stop seeking wisdom, pursuing truth, serving others, and growing closer to Christ. If He remains at the center of your life, you will be ready not only for the opportunities and challenges of the age of AI, but for every path God calls you to walk.
May these final words become a prayer for your life:
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.” — Proverbs 3:5-6
God Bless
Jerry Novotny, OMI
*******************
Affirming Life can be Beautiful.
“Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.”
— Saint Catherine of Siena
“The future starts today, not tomorrow.”
— Pope John Paul II
“You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.”
— Saint Augustine
*******************
Websites by Fr. Jerry
(English) LifeIssues.net – Pro Life Website
(English) Fighting for the Culture of Life – Fr. Jerry’s Blog
(English) Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate – Japan and Korea
(Japanese) Japan-lifeissues.net – Pro Life Website
(Japanese) Human Rights: The Road to a Happy Life – Fr. Jerry’s Blog
(Japanese) Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate – Japan and Korea
