Historically pride was called the queen of vices for a reason. What does it have to do with the relationship breakdown in modern society, modern tech advancement, and the destruction of the natural world?
Everything.
In this episode, Liberty reviews a 1945 science fiction novel—That Hideous Strength—in which C.S. Lewis imagined many of the problems we are seeing play out in the modern world. But for the final installment in what has been called the Space Trilogy, Lewis’s approach is surprisingly down-to-earth.
Is it ok for conservatives to be AI skeptics? With popular Democratic politicians rampaging against AI data centers and the Trump administration emphasizing the need to stay ahead of China in AI development, some on the right may believe that opposition to or skepticism about AI is “leftist coded.”
In this episode, Liberty highlights a recent article by Gregory Conti and makes the case that conservatives can and should express skepticism about many of the ways AI is currently being integrated into society today.
Liberty argues that being a conservative critic of artificial intelligence does not mean…
That you are a Luddite
That you are opposed to all technology, progress, or benefits of the modern world
That you are falling for far-left or foreign propaganda
That you oppose capitalism
That you don’t care about job development
Listen for more, and comment with your own concerns and/or hopes for AI.
Algorithms on social media drive users toward increasingly extreme content. AI bots flood comment sections, drowning out facts and thoughtful perspectives. In an environment like this, where the majority of young people spend hours of their time, it shouldn’t surprise us that distrust, moral relativism, belief in conspiracy theories, and ancient prejudices like antisemitism are becoming common.
In short, we live in the post-truth era, where people doubt whether facts matter and if truth can even be found. It behooves all responsible human beings to push back and help the next generation form a grounded worldview that is rooted in reality and acquainted with truth.
In this episode of the Know Why Podcast, Liberty highlights a recent article from The Free Press, “The Death of History,” to show examples of how algorithms and bots are contributing to antisemitism in this post-truth era. She ends with suggestions for parents who want to help their kids build worldviews grounded in truth, think critically, and recover attention spans so that they have the time and mental ability to discern emotional exploitation from fact.
The man behind the robot vacuum has developed something new—”The Familiar,” an AI-powered robot “pet” designed to bond with its owner.
While the product itself is interesting or weird, depending on how you look at it, its existence highlights deeper issues in American society today, including…
The growing loneliness problem
Falling fertility rates and an aging society
The lie that autonomy leads to fulfillment
And more.
Listen to understand how we should think about many of the new AI products being pushed on everyday people and how we can build a society where AI friends, companions, and “familiars” aren’t needed.
More Resources:
The Roomba Guy’s Second Act: A Robot You’ll Want to Snuggle
Sam Altman talks about uploading his brain to the cloud. Elon Musks says humans should merge biological intelligence with digital intelligence. Peter Thiel isn’t sure if the human race should continue without that kind of human-tech merger. What do these tech leaders have in common? Transhumanism—the idea that humans should be able to change, or even eradicate, their physical bodies by merging with technology.
This may sound sci-fi, but the core tenets of transhumanism aren’t actually new. In fact, humans have been moving toward this idea for a long time. Some even predicted it.
In this episode, Liberty discusses how ancient and classic literature and thinkers of the past, including J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis, can help us understand transhumanism and the “brave new world” we find ourselves in.
More Resources:
Do You Want to Live Forever? A Tolkienian Critique of Transhumanism by Julie Miller
First Lady Melania Trump recently asked Americans to imagine a humanoid robot tutor named “Plato.” Meanwhile, many schools are already incorporating AI into the classroom, in some cases eliminating human teachers altogether. Can AI help solve America’s education problems? Or should we draw a line and protect the classroom from AI encroachment?
In this episode, Liberty offers three reasons why AI doesn’t belong in education. First, from a Christian perspective, education is discipleship, and AI can’t disciple. Second, education requires relationship, which research confirms, and AI can’t truly relate. Third, studies are already showing evidence of cognitive decline in AI users, and education technology has, in general, been a large failure.
Learn more about these arguments in the full episode, where Liberty also shares some practical tips for parents to make sure their kids are truly learning to think in the age of AI. Dig in deeper by checking out the resources below, cited in the episode.
More Resources:
Ed Tech is Profitable. It is Also Mostly Useless. (The Economist) https://www.economist.com/united-states/2026/01/22/ed-tech-is-profitable-it-is-also-mostly-useless?utm_campaign=shared_article
A recent story in The Wall Street Journal includes predictions that in 20 years, AI-augmented entertainment will be so customizable that people can watch the same show and choose their own endings—or even entire plot paths—via “unobstrusive” devices like contact lenses or BCIs.
While this prediction may sound futuristic or outlandish to some, it’s consistent with a trend we’re already seeing: the perception of art as entertainment, a matter of personal taste rather than formation of character. Does it matter that our culture largely views art this way? Yes, and in this episode, Liberty shares reasons why.
If you care about art, our understanding of humanity, the formation of moral character, and the preservation of a culture’s “collective memories,” listen to this episode and comment with your thoughts about where the entertainment industry is headed.
Should Christians use chatbots like ChatGPT, Claude, and Grok? Is AI simply a neutral tool that humans can use for either good or evil? How does the book of Genesis offer clarity to the AI conversation?
Kicking off Know Why’s 2026 season is Doug Smith, longtime software engineer, lifelong student of the Bible, and author of [Un]Intentional: How Screens Are Secretly Shaping Your Desires and How You Can Break Free, and the forthcoming [Un]Intelligence: The Lies Behind Today’s AI and the Truths You Need to Thrive. In this deep-dive interview, Doug helps us think through the following topics:
What epistemology means and how it helps us understand AI
How large language models (LLMs) fundamentally differ from other search engines
Whether the “neutral tool” trope applies to AI
Why Big Tech founders use spiritual terms to talk about AI
And much more.
Listen to this fascinating conversation for a unique perspective on AI and chatbots that is thoroughly informed by a biblical worldview and relevant for every human being.
These top 5 most popular episodes are a great representation of the kinds of topics and series Know Why has covered in 2025. If you’ve enjoyed the Know Why Podcast or found any episode helpful or informative, send us an email, and let us know what you’d like to see the Know Why Podcast cover in 2026.
Book Review: You Have a Calling by Karen Swallow Prior (Summer Series 2025)
Are you trying to find your calling in life? Are you just trying to find a job? Either way, it can be a frustrating time.
The job market is changing. AI is threatening many collar jobs. A bachelor’s degree isn’t the ticket to success it once was. Meanwhile, culturally accepted wisdom about passion, vocation, and job satisfaction isn’t always rooted in the truth—about happiness, about God, or even about ourselves.
Thankfully, Karen Swallow Prior offers wisdom and clarity in her new book, You Have a Calling: Finding Your Vocation in the True, Good, and Beautiful. In this episode, Liberty shares some key takeaways from the book, tying them into previous series on the Know Why Podcast.
