By Jose Kavi
New Delhi, Feb 8, 2024: The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India, the first episcopal body in the world to study Artificial Intelligence (AI) seriously, has asked the country’s 174 dioceses to educate their more than 20 million members to responsibly use digital tools.
“AI holds out the promise of tremendous benefits in the fields of healthcare, agriculture, education, research, engineering, recreation, business and finance. However, AI systems can be misused,” says the final statement of the conference’s 36th biennial meeting that ended February 7 in Bengaluru, southern India.
More than 170 bishops representing the dioceses attended the January 31-February 7 plenary that addressed the theme, “The Church’s Response to the Current Socio-Political Situation of the Country and the Benefits and Challenges of Artificial Intelligence (AI).”
Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, president of the Pontifical Academy for Life who presented the keynote address on the challenges of AI at the CBCI meeting, noted that India’s is the first bishops’ conference in the world to specifically explore the challenges and concerns of the technological age.
The Vatican official compared the historic transformation brought about by the advent of AI to the introduction of electricity in mid-19th century.
He asked the Indian bishops not to get frightened by the “great transformations” taking place because of the digital revolution. “They are rather a call to the responsibility that the Gospel demands of us towards the human life inhabiting this planet,” he added.
The Indian bishops, recognizing digital technologies, including AI, as gifts of God, warn that “in the wrong hands,” they could become tools to spread hatred, violence, manipulation and social bigotry.
The bishops foresee the danger of misusing the human data collected by digital platforms and AI to undermine the privacy of individuals and families. Therefore, they urge the Indian government to regulate the development and use of AI so as to encourage the best practices and prevent abuses.
On their part, the bishops have resolved to organize media programs through diocesan communication offices to educate the community about the responsible use of digital and AI tools and teach them ways to safeguard against manipulation and abuse. “We want to promote ethical use of AI to be responsible citizens of the digital world,” the statement says.
The bishops also plan to harness available AI tools through their diocesan and regional communication offices and youth associations for effective faith formation and “creative sharing of the Good News.”
They have urged dioceses, religious congregations and lay associations to equip the youth to benefit from the opportunities offered by the AI revolution.
“The Catholic Church in India firmly reiterates that the path to integral human development lies in promoting justice, equality, truth and freedom as a communitarian effort for the common good,” the statement says.
For this, the bishops view AI as “a useful instrument” provided it respects and promotes human complexity, dignity and sanctity.
Very interesting topic to be added in the CBCI agenda.