Prof.
Martín Carbajo-Núñez, OFM, has been invited to the
Catholic Theological Union (CTU) in Chicago to present his new book,
Brother Robot: Artificial Intelligence and Franciscan Humanism. The in-person event will take place on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. (Chicago time), in Room 335.
The lecture and book presentation will offer an opportunity to reflect on one of the most pressing challenges of our time: the rapid development of generative artificial intelligence and its profound implications for our understanding of the human person, knowledge, social relationships, politics, economics, culture, and care for creation.
Published in English by TAU Publishing in 2026,
Brother Robot: Artificial Intelligence and Franciscan Humanism brings together the Franciscan intellectual tradition, the encyclical
Magnifica humanitas, and contemporary reflection on artificial intelligence.
The book begins from the recognition that generative AI is rapidly transforming our world, offering extraordinary possibilities while also raising significant ethical, anthropological, social, and ecological questions. Its first part explores the contribution of the Franciscan intellectual tradition to the development of modern scientific and technological rationality and considers how this historical process has also contributed to the emergence of the contemporary technocratic paradigm.
In response to these challenges, Prof. Carbajo proposes a humanism of fraternity inspired by St. Francis of Assisi, seeking to place technological development at the service of the human person, the common good, and care for creation. This Franciscan perspective is applied to five fundamental areas: epistemology, politics, economics, culture, and ecology. At the heart of the book lies a fundamental question: What kind of humanity do we want to build in a society increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence?
Prof. Carbajo-Núñez currently teaches ethics and communication at three university institutions: the Pontifical University Antonianum and the Pontifical Alfonsian Academy in Rome, and the Franciscan School of Theology (FST), affiliated with the University of San Diego in California.
A return to Catholic Theological Union
This will not be Prof. Carbajo-Núñez’s first academic collaboration with CTU. Three years ago, on November 8, 2023, he was invited by the Duns Scotus Chair of Catholic Theological Union to give an online lecture entitled “The Franciscan Influence on the Market Economy and Its Relevance Today.” In that presentation, he examined the important contribution made by Franciscan friars during the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth centuries to understanding and humanizing the emerging market economy, and considered the continuing relevance of this tradition for contemporary economic challenges (
View the 2023 CTU lecture, information, video, and related materials)
The forthcoming presentation of
Brother Robot continues this dialogue between the Franciscan intellectual tradition and the major challenges of contemporary society, now focusing on artificial intelligence and the need to preserve and promote what is authentically human in an increasingly technological world.
More information about the book Brother Robot
