Hawaii had a rat problem (no, not the Democrats). The rats originally came with the pirate ships, crawled down the ropes that secured them to land, and they reproduced in huge numbers.
"Hawaii’s attempt to control rats is a famous ecological lesson. In 1883, sugarcane planters imported the small Indian mongoose to hunt rats. The plan failed because rats are nocturnal and mongooses hunt during the day; instead, the mongoose became an invasive species that devastated native, ground-nesting birds."
To this day, they have a rat and a mongoose problem. If you go to the islands, you will notice at the top of palm trees just below the fronds, metal bands about a foot wide wrapped around the trees to keep the rats from nesting in them.
I’m certain that the Pope’s views about AI will have as much effect as the RCC’s prohibition of the crossbow, contraception, and abortion. But the mention of David Stove’s “On Enlightenment” is important, about one of the key issues of our era.
For centuries the West has engaged in an accelerating experiment on our society. The early steps were tentative, slow, cautious. Now, awash with hubris we rapidly implement changes with no forethought. No consideration or awareness of side effects, let alone possible ill effects.
Society evolved through generations of trial and error, since we have little knowledge about its dynamics. Awareness of this and respect for the risks of well-intended changes is one meaning of “conservatism”. Unfortunately, now the term commonly refers to a set of bold policy changes as feckless as any desired by the Left.
'“science [sometimes] oversteps the limits of its competence.”'
I suspect he meant to prefix that with "practitioners of", otherwise it's a category mistake similar to that of ascribing human concepts such as morality to (literally) inhuman objects such as computer models, as you later imply.
With that proviso, I would extend it to "practitioners of all disciplines and occupations sometimes overstep the limits of their competence". Which is analogous to the so-called "Dunning-Krueger effect". I've seen it in every occupation in which I've engaged, and I have to confess it takes some self-criticism / discipline trying to resist such hubris in myself (assisted by wife and children). "The expert knows X, therefore the expert knows everything else as well". Useful basis for propaganda, institutions, the Milgrom experiment, etc.
No model will save us...the Ford Edsel proved that about 70 years ago. I was raised a catholic but I have been "popeless" for 55 years. Now we have woke A/i coders adding silly nonsense into a system that they tell us will be smarter and more truthful than God. Sneaking irrationality into a supposedly pure system will render it infected and beyond useful. Hopefully.
Dear Church: Please go back to the linguistic precision and logic you once employed and lose the modern gobbledygook that makes the true things you say look ridiculous.
Thank you for the excellent essay. I'm not sure how to parse the sentence, "The risk is to narrowly define of create of fetish of intelligence and create some dreary mandarinate." Perhaps it is meant to be, "The risk is to narrowly define OR create A fetish of intelligence and create some dreary mandarinate."? (At the same time, I must confess that I had to look up the meaning of "mandarinate" lol.)
I'd be happy to just 'journey' back to incandescent light bulbs, appliances that work, and toilets that do their job. In other words, I would like the government to stop treating me like I'm incapable of making my own decisions.
"As with all petty oppressions, the excuse has always been public safety, which the regime claims to prize much more highly than public liberty, which it does not claim to prize at all."
John Carter, Postcards From Barsoom. Substack, 18 May 2026
The Great Commandment is “Be you perfect even as I am perfect”
That doesn’t mean always saying please and thank you and extending your pinky as you drink your tea. It is rather the commandment of eternity. To think it achievable in the short temporal life is to staggeringly underestimate God’s infinity and His infinite perfection.
The eternal goal is to forever tend toward the perfection of the Heavenly Father. This is the real journey.
David Stove's opening to “Why You Should Be A Conservative” demonstrates the truth of economist extraordinaire Thomas Sowell's adage: "There are no solutions, only tradeoffs."
Regarding il Papa and AI, anything we create can be used for good or for evil. The Prophet Jeremiah warned us which path fallen human beings are naturally inclined to choose:
“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?”
AI is not really thinking. It's just mimicking thought, but when you have city sized data centers, you can do it pretty well. The death star in Star Wars must've been a giant data center.
Great sense of humor and a grasp on everything.
Speaking of unintended consequences:
Hawaii had a rat problem (no, not the Democrats). The rats originally came with the pirate ships, crawled down the ropes that secured them to land, and they reproduced in huge numbers.
"Hawaii’s attempt to control rats is a famous ecological lesson. In 1883, sugarcane planters imported the small Indian mongoose to hunt rats. The plan failed because rats are nocturnal and mongooses hunt during the day; instead, the mongoose became an invasive species that devastated native, ground-nesting birds."
To this day, they have a rat and a mongoose problem. If you go to the islands, you will notice at the top of palm trees just below the fronds, metal bands about a foot wide wrapped around the trees to keep the rats from nesting in them.
I’m certain that the Pope’s views about AI will have as much effect as the RCC’s prohibition of the crossbow, contraception, and abortion. But the mention of David Stove’s “On Enlightenment” is important, about one of the key issues of our era.
For centuries the West has engaged in an accelerating experiment on our society. The early steps were tentative, slow, cautious. Now, awash with hubris we rapidly implement changes with no forethought. No consideration or awareness of side effects, let alone possible ill effects.
Society evolved through generations of trial and error, since we have little knowledge about its dynamics. Awareness of this and respect for the risks of well-intended changes is one meaning of “conservatism”. Unfortunately, now the term commonly refers to a set of bold policy changes as feckless as any desired by the Left.
What would be interesting is to see Briggs take over as the President of the The George Washington University.
I have my iron rod ready to go.
This has helped me on my Briggs journey.
Yes, but remember it´s all heresy and blasphemy. You might get sent to the briggs.
Perhaps I will write more later after my bidet journey.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
'“science [sometimes] oversteps the limits of its competence.”'
I suspect he meant to prefix that with "practitioners of", otherwise it's a category mistake similar to that of ascribing human concepts such as morality to (literally) inhuman objects such as computer models, as you later imply.
With that proviso, I would extend it to "practitioners of all disciplines and occupations sometimes overstep the limits of their competence". Which is analogous to the so-called "Dunning-Krueger effect". I've seen it in every occupation in which I've engaged, and I have to confess it takes some self-criticism / discipline trying to resist such hubris in myself (assisted by wife and children). "The expert knows X, therefore the expert knows everything else as well". Useful basis for propaganda, institutions, the Milgrom experiment, etc.
No model will save us...the Ford Edsel proved that about 70 years ago. I was raised a catholic but I have been "popeless" for 55 years. Now we have woke A/i coders adding silly nonsense into a system that they tell us will be smarter and more truthful than God. Sneaking irrationality into a supposedly pure system will render it infected and beyond useful. Hopefully.
Outstanding essay, especially the last sentence. Oh, and I love using: - as well!
Thanks, Vivian.
Dear Church: Please go back to the linguistic precision and logic you once employed and lose the modern gobbledygook that makes the true things you say look ridiculous.
Thank you for the excellent essay. I'm not sure how to parse the sentence, "The risk is to narrowly define of create of fetish of intelligence and create some dreary mandarinate." Perhaps it is meant to be, "The risk is to narrowly define OR create A fetish of intelligence and create some dreary mandarinate."? (At the same time, I must confess that I had to look up the meaning of "mandarinate" lol.)
All typos are placed by my enemies, who are relentless.
Sorry to quibble further, but that formula is more likely to be "forgotten" than "forgetton".
I'd be happy to just 'journey' back to incandescent light bulbs, appliances that work, and toilets that do their job. In other words, I would like the government to stop treating me like I'm incapable of making my own decisions.
"As with all petty oppressions, the excuse has always been public safety, which the regime claims to prize much more highly than public liberty, which it does not claim to prize at all."
John Carter, Postcards From Barsoom. Substack, 18 May 2026
Unintended consequences? So you're saying Google releasing 32 million bacterium-infected mosquitoes into Florida might have unforeseen side-effects?
Gee, not surprising arrogance would trump humility and caution despite the poor track record of initiatives like this.
“One must seek perfection”
The Great Commandment is “Be you perfect even as I am perfect”
That doesn’t mean always saying please and thank you and extending your pinky as you drink your tea. It is rather the commandment of eternity. To think it achievable in the short temporal life is to staggeringly underestimate God’s infinity and His infinite perfection.
The eternal goal is to forever tend toward the perfection of the Heavenly Father. This is the real journey.
Great essay.
David Stove's opening to “Why You Should Be A Conservative” demonstrates the truth of economist extraordinaire Thomas Sowell's adage: "There are no solutions, only tradeoffs."
Regarding il Papa and AI, anything we create can be used for good or for evil. The Prophet Jeremiah warned us which path fallen human beings are naturally inclined to choose:
“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?”
— Jeremiah 17:9 (ESV)
(A rhetorical question no doubt.)
Excellent essay.
Many thanks.
My my….most excellent, Mr. Briggs.👏👏
AI is not really thinking. It's just mimicking thought, but when you have city sized data centers, you can do it pretty well. The death star in Star Wars must've been a giant data center.