AI in RE

Magisterium Ai is a new tool created by the Catholic Church that mimics the ability of other Artificial Intelligence technologies. The difference is that Magisterium searches only the documents of the Church. If you need information about anything to do with the Church and its teachings, it is a more reliable tool than other AIs that search the whole of the internet – and may use unreliable sources to produce a response. 

Recently students in RE 8.5, were asked to discuss the importance of the cross as a symbol for Christians throughout history. There were some thoughtful offerings from the class that revealed an understanding of how the symbol has changed over time. The responses from Olivia Pisani and Estelle Gilmovich show how well some Year 8 students can express their knowledge! 

After sharing some responses and discussing what should be included in their writing, I introduced the students to Magisterium AI, to compare their writing with an example created from Church sources. Magisterium’s first attempt was far too academic and abstract, but when I instructed it to ‘Simplify for Year 8 students’, the second version was a model of how to respond to the question. It provided the students with an opportunity to compare their writing to an excellent model. We discussed the clear opening statement, progression of the argument and clear concluding paragraph, as well as the key idea that the cross had moved from being associated with shame and punishment to a symbol of hope and resurrection.  

Many people are worried that students will use AI to avoid the work required to build knowledge and skills through writing. Our exploration in Year 8 shows how the technology can be used to strengthen skills, not replace them. 

Jane Sulis
Outreach Coordinator