Dr. Ruffini: Church leadership needed to shape ‘Ethical AI’
By Joan April, Roy Lagarde & Mark Saludes - LiCAS News
“The digital world is not a ready-made. It is changing every day. We, we can change it. We can shape it. And we need Catholic communicators to do it, with love and with human intelligence,” said Dr. Ruffini.
In a recorded speech delivered during the 7th National Catholic Social Communications Convention (NCSCC) in Lipa City, south of Manila, on August 5, the Prefect of the Dicastery for Communication (Vatican News' parent organization, underscored the Church’s responsibility to guide technological advancements with moral clarity and human-centered values.
“So the basic question is not about machines, but about humans, about us. There are and always will be things that a technology cannot replace, like freedom, like the miracle of encounter between people, like the surprise of the unexpected, the conversion, the outburst of ingenuity, the gratuitous love,” he said.
Organized by the Episcopal Commission on Social Communications (ECSC) of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), the convention aims to explore advancements and risks in AI, offering insights on leveraging the technology for positive impact while addressing potential negative consequences.
During the opening ceremony, Bishop Marcelino Antonio Maralit of Boac, Chairperson of the CBCP-ECSC, reminded Catholic communicators of what AI would mean for the Church and for the human family.
“It’s not only just a cultural reality that will be changed. It is a changing epoch,” he said. “We need to have a close oversight of the ever-developing technology,” the prelate said, echoing Pope Francis.
“So, for what reason [do] we have to sit here, to talk, to listen, and to discern? Because we are now in a change of epoch,” he added.
The Convention, which runs from August 5 to 8, gathered over 300 Catholic communicators and social communications ministers from 86 dioceses across the country.
Dr. Ruffini framed the discussion around AI as not just a technological issue but a profound moral and philosophical concern that requires the Church’s active engagement.
“We need rules, we need ethics, we need philosophical and theological thinking, and not just only technological. We need to look beyond. We need awareness and responsibility. This challenges politics, philosophers, educators, and challenges the Church too,” he added.
The Vatican official expressed concern about the potential for AI to deepen existing social inequalities and isolation if left unchecked.
“The fundamental question is, in what way will this new tool make relationships between individuals stronger and communities more cohesive? Or will, on the contrary, increase the loneliness of those who are already lonely, depriving each of us of the warmth that only in-person communication can provide?” he said.
Dr. Ruffini emphasized the critical issue of whether artificial intelligence can be developed to enhance equality, rather than establishing new hierarchies based on informational power.
There is concern that AI might lead to new forms of exploitation and inequality by concentrating control over algorithms and data, which are often extracted from the private aspects of individuals’ lives.
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