Vic Gundotra, a former senior vice president at Google and a Catholic convert, opened up about his journey with faith, Scripture, and artificial intelligence at the Legatus Summit held in California from January 29–31, 2026.
In conversations at the summit and in a podcast with Stephen Henley, Gundotra reflected on his dramatic spiritual transformation—from being a Jehovah’s Witness elder, to atheism, and ultimately to Catholicism—while also offering insights on the rising role of AI in the spiritual life.
A Difficult Departure From His Former Faith
Raised as a Jehovah’s Witness, Gundotra immersed himself deeply in the religion, eventually becoming an elder. But strict rules against questioning doctrine made it nearly impossible to explore doubts without the threat of disfellowship.
“You lose everything,” he said, recalling how questioning teachings could lead to a complete rupture from family, friends, and community.
When he confided his concerns to his wife, she broke down in fear of losing everything they knew. Yet the couple eventually made the difficult decision to leave the faith. Afterwards, Gundotra describes falling into atheism, feeling spiritually lost.
His turning point came unexpectedly through a former colleague from Microsoft, who later became his guide toward the Catholic Church. The powerful moment came at 2 a.m., when Gundotra texted him during a moment of crisis.
His friend replied instantly: “I’ve got adoration duty.”
That single interaction opened the path to a long period of study, prayer, and exploration of the early Church fathers.
Discovering the Early Church: “I Cried”
One of Gundotra’s most emotional moments in his conversion journey came when he encountered St. Clement of Rome, a name he had never heard during his years as a Jehovah’s Witness.
He recalls reading his own Jehovah’s Witness Bible, seeing St. Paul refer to Clement as someone “whose name is written in the Book of Life.”
“I cried… ‘Who is this Clement? How have I not read his letters?’”
That discovery ignited a deep study of early Christianity, eventually leading him fully into the Catholic Church.
‘Blown Away’ by Using AI for Bible Study
At the summit, Gundotra also shared how AI has become an integral part of his daily spiritual life.
He begins each morning with a full hour of reading the Mass readings and then asks his AI assistant:
“What do most people miss from this reading?”
He encourages believers to ask AI for slower, more researched answers, noting that depth often comes at the cost of speed.
“Maybe four days out of the week, I’m blown away… Maybe verses I’ve read thousands of times and I missed something.”
AI’s strength, he noted, is its ability to synthesize 2,000 years of Catholic commentary—from Scripture scholars to the Church Fathers—and present insights tailored to the reader.
Gundotra called artificial intelligence:
“The single-greatest innovation of my lifetime… more akin to the invention of fire and the wheel.”
The Warning: AI Is Powerful—but Not God
Despite his enthusiasm, Gundotra delivered a sober warning:
AI is a double-edged sword.
“There will be people who think AI is their God… We’re at the beginning of a set of things that will lead people to worship AI.”
He urged Catholic leaders to embrace technology but to remain firmly rooted in the truth:
“It’s just a tool. It’s not God.”