Caritas et veritas, 2026 (vol. 16), issue 1
Editorial
Artificial Intelligence and the Transformation of Society – reflection on current perspectives and future challenges for the social sciences and humanities
Daniel D. Novotný, Chileshe Mulenga
Caritas et veritas 2026, 16(1):6-7 
The history of human civilisation is, in many respects, a history of adaptation to changing con ditions such as climate and environmental shifts, epidemics, and the discovery and invention of new materials and technologies. Whether in the form of agriculture, pastoralism, metallurgy, new sources of energy, or the processes that have produced the materials upon which contemporary civilisation rests, namely ammonia, cement, plastics, and steel, as emphasised by Václav Smil, each transformation has reshaped human life in ways that are at once liberating and unsettling. In our own time, marked by an accelerating pace of change, another transformation is...
Studies Topical
Artificial Intelligence as a Challenge for Spiritual-theological Reflection in the Context of the Encyclicals Laudato si’ and Fratelli tutti
Michal Černý
Caritas et veritas 2026, 16(1):18-32 | DOI: 10.32725/cetv.2026.004
The development of generative artificial intelligence in the last three years has fundamentally transformed the forms of education, the shape of the labour market and the competencies needed for a successful life in modern society. Church documents have commented on tech nical and social changes since the late 19th century, but the perception of selected social changes and their spiritual and social risks is broader. This study aims to create a field of thought constituted by reflection on contemporary socio-religious themes and to contextualise these themes through the themes of two encyclicals of Pope Francis—Laudato si’ and Fratelli...
The Word without a Speaker? Scripture, Its Meaning, and the Challenge of Large Language Models
Jiří Dosoudil
Caritas et veritas 2026, 16(1):33-44 | DOI: 10.32725/cetv.2026.005
Recent developments in AI, particularly LLMs, have brought renewed attention to herme neutical questions concerning how meaning arises in language and whether it depends on the intention of a speaking subject. Against this background, the present study asks how Scripture can be understood as the Word of God in a context where language demonstra bly functions without a speaker, arguing that this situation challenges modern logocentric models of meaning rather than theological conceptions of Scripture. Methodologically, the article combines philosophical analysis of language, biblical-theological examination of the concepts of dābār and logos,...
The Anthropological Turn Towards Dialogue in the Age of Generative AI
Milan Urbančok, Jozef Žuffa, Lucia Malíčková
Caritas et veritas 2026, 16(1):45-55 | DOI: 10.32725/cetv.2026.006
Generative artificial intelligence is reshaping the conditions of theological interpretation by changing how religious texts are searched, organised, questioned, and methodologically approached. This article examines the methodological and anthropological implications of integrating generative AI into theological research, with particular attention to the formu lation of research questions, the interpretation of textual corpora, and the responsibility of the human interpreter. The study is based on a theological-anthropological, hermeneutical, and conceptual analysis that draws on the authors’ research trajectory since 2023, including interdisciplinary...
Artificial Intelligence and Social Diversity: Demographic Aspects and Security Challenges
Ivana Olecká, Josef Smolík
Caritas et veritas 2026, 16(1):56-75 | DOI: 10.32725/cetv.2026.007
Recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are increasingly shaping everyday life. This study examined patterns of AI use in the Czech Republic and their relationship with demographic factors. A representative sample of 521 respondents aged 15 and above was surveyed between March and June 2024 using online and assisted interviews. Key variables included gender, age (adolescence/early adulthood, middle adulthood, late adulthood, old age), and highest level of education (elementary, vocational, secondary, tertiary). Results show that intensive use of AI accounts is limited: only a small proportion of respondents use AI daily or very...
Artificial Intelligence in Psychotherapy: experiences of Aftercare Programme Clients
Kristýna Hellerová, David Urban, Jana Hamhalterová
Caritas et veritas 2026, 16(1):76-87 | DOI: 10.32725/cetv.2026.008
AI tools are increasingly present in mental health and addiction aftercare, yet little is known about clients’ perspectives in these settings. This qualitative study examines how adults in Czech aftercare programmes experience AI-supported tools across emotional, cognitive, and ethical dimensions. Using reflexive thematic analysis (Braun and Clarke) of transcribed semi-structured interviews with five clients in post-treatment recovery, the analysis identified themes of emotional support, cognitive structuring, and ambivalence regarding trust, rela tional authenticity, and data privacy. The findings suggest that AI can complement psycho social...
Payment Cards and Consumerism in the Age of AI: towards a Mediation Account
Ehsan Arzroomchilar, Daniel D. Novotný
Caritas et veritas 2026, 16(1):88-102 | DOI: 10.32725/cetv.2026.009
We sometimes assume that technologies simply do what they are designed to do. Technology, however, brings new opportunities and risks into the world that would not have been possible otherwise. It often leads to effects that are unintended and/or unforeseen and exceed our pri mary intentions. It shapes environment, society, and even our own self-understanding. In this paper, we offer an account of one such technology, namely payment cards (and other related payment technologies), which are an important step in the direction of cashless society and Internet of Things. While conveniently facilitating the process of payment, these cards have been shown...
Technological Hegemony in the Global South: epistemicide, Dehumanisation and Digital Domination
Chileshe Mulenga Nicholas, David Mutemwa
Caritas et veritas 2026, 16(1):103-116 | DOI: 10.32725/cetv.2026.010
This paper examines the dominance of Western technological systems in the Global South within an increasingly digitalised world where education, healthcare, governance, and social interaction are shaped by digital technologies. It argues that these systems reinforce epistemic inequality by privileging Western knowledge while marginalising indigenous epistemologies, thereby threatening human dignity, epistemic justice, and cultural identity. Drawing on Neil Postman’s concept of technopoly alongside African philosophical perspectives on relationality and communal knowledge, the study demonstrates how Western-controlled digital platforms and infrastructures...