Texas brothers launch Catholic AI chatbot with parental controls
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By bridging the gap between the Bible and artificial intelligence (AI), two Texas brothers are creating a new platform designed to give families a safe alternative to Silicon Valley’s secular chatbots.
Peter and Thomas Cooney created Acutis AI, a faith-based AI chatbot based on 2000 years of Catholic teaching. The duo said the idea arose when they began to question the source of the moral frameworks of modern chatbots, turning to the Catholic faith and centuries-old scientific studies on ethics as an answer.
“We’ve really realized that when you’re using a lot of these mainstream platforms, you can’t really trace the moral framework to what it is,” Thomas Cooney said Saturday on “Fox & Friends Weekend.”
“Growing up in a Catholic family, we kind of felt like that was the best place to go.” [morals] “Not from a tech CEO or an ethics team,” he added.
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Brothers Peter and Thomas Cooney appeared on “Fox & Friends Weekend” to discuss Acutis AI, their new faith-based artificial intelligence chatbot. (Screenshot/”Fox and Friends Weekend”)
Acutis AI is named after Blessed Carlo Acutis, the first millennium saint who died at the age of 15. He has earned the nickname “God’s Influencer” for his work creating a website documenting Eucharistic miracles.
Peter Cooney said the aim is to ensure that families have a safe place to receive moral responses and advice in the field of artificial intelligence.
“The biggest danger is for children and teenagers who can become addicted to these big platforms, these AI chatbots. And they’re giving them false information,” Peter said.
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Pope Benedict XIV at the Vatican on September 7, 2025. A tapestry depicting Carlo Acutis hung on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica during the beatification ceremony led by Leo. (Franco Origlia/Getty Images)
Acutis AI includes a variety of features designed for parents to keep their children safe online. The platform offers tools such as time limits, parental monitoring, and limited usage during user-specified homework hours.
“We put parental controls in place so parents can see exactly what their kids are saying. They can get alerts when their kids ask questions about dangerous topics,” Peter said.
“No matter what the question is about, we will always make sure it is answered from Catholic perspectives.”
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A mother and her daughter were sitting on the couch at home and using smartphones together. (MStudioImages/iStock)
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The website also notes that when teens ask tough questions, the AI is trained to respond on moral grounds rather than trying to keep the user “hooked” on the conversation.
The creation of Acutis AI comes as many members of Generation Z are finding their way back to religion. A Gallup poll released Wednesday found that 42 percent of men under 30 say religion is “very important” to them; This is a 14 percent increase from 2023.
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