Episode 87: Pope, AI, and the Generosity Crisis Talk

June 3, 20263 min read

Overview

What happens when artificial intelligence advances faster than society’s ability to adapt? And what role should nonprofits, faith leaders, and technology providers play in shaping a future that remains deeply human?

In this episode, Nathan and Scott reflect on key discussions from the Virtuous User Summit, where AI emerged as a central theme for the nonprofit sector. They examine the unique culture of collaboration within nonprofits and the responsibility of technology partners to support missions that serve the common good. A major focus is the Pope’s recent encyclical on AI, which raises concerns about the concentration of power, the dehumanizing potential of unchecked technology, and the need for ethical safeguards.

The conversation also explores AI-driven workforce disruption, growing demand for nonprofit services, and the sector’s readiness to respond to these challenges. Beyond the risks, Nathan and Scott highlight practical opportunities for AI adoption, encouraging leaders to move beyond fear, fatigue, and FOMO through experimentation and curiosity. They discuss emerging AI models, personalized AI assistants, knowledge-management tools, and automation that can free people to focus on creativity and relationships.

Cover art for episode 87: Pope, AI, and the Generosity Crisis Talk

Episode highlights

01:30 AI's Moral Imperative and Nonprofit Sector Challenges
04:23 Pope's Encyclical on AI and Its Implications
10:18 Nonprofit Sector's Preparedness for AI Disruption
20:44 Practical AI Adoption and Overcoming Challenges
25:51 New AI Models and Their Capabilities
31:56 AI Tools and Personalized AI
38:00 AI's Impact on Society and Ethical Considerations

Tips and tools to implement today

Start Small with AI. Pick one repetitive task and automate it this week.
Spend 15 - 30 minutes weekly testing a new AI tool or feature.
Use a safe space to learn through hands-on practice.
Generate campaign ideas, content outlines, and brainstorming prompts.
Have AI help manage tasks, calendars, notes, and reminders.
Use tools like Obsidian to organize ideas and documents.
Test multiple AI platforms and use the best one for each task.

Favorite quotes

"I don't know how most people stay up on things about AI. You and I read and listen and talk about AI way more than any human should, and it's like completely overwhelming for the average person, but still this stuff comes and goes, I don't even know." - Nathan Chappell
"Almost any time, there are individuals that are not using AI or organizations that are not using AI, comes from 3f words. I've called them the 3f words of AI: fear, FOMO, and fatigue" - Nathan Chappell
"The expectation of your job and your next job and how you get hired and promoted is going to be predicated on how you overcome fear of FOMO and fatigue, but also that I think a lot of people who have those have an outdated view of what AI is." - Nathan Chappell
"Recognition that just because you're tired of AI or you have a fear of AI, or you have FOMO over AI doesn't diminish the impact that it'll make" - Nathan Chappell
"The arms race in the private sector right now is fixated on the one-employee billion-dollar corporation, that's all anyone cares about in terms of the arms race to AI, so why could the same approach not be done on the nonprofit sector, and literally solve some of the world's greatest challenges?" - Nathan Chappell
"My biggest concern about the future of humanity is, pretty much nothing else, it's autonomous wealth creation, because if the value of money becomes nothing, because anybody can create it, then what happens at that point. So, I think we're in the wrong arms race." - Nathan Chappell
"Recognize that you have agency in AI. A lot of people believe that AI is being done to them because that's what the media tells them. It's a foregone conclusion." - Nathan Chappell