Artificial Intelligence and the Social Doctrine of the Catholic Church

Discussion

Fabiano Incerti and Douglas Borges Candido:

"On January 1, 2024, Pope Francis surprised the world by directing his message for the International Day of Peace focusing on the theme of Artificial Intelligence.

In his speech, the pontiff reminds us of the urgent need to deepen the debate on how technological innovations can shape our society and how they can contribute to building a more just and peaceful world. Artificial Intelligence provides us with an unprecedented opportunity to transform human reality and the planet, because as the document Gaudium et Spes recalls, with our work and intelligence we seek to further develop life itself, contributing to a better organization of society, to the increase of freedom and fraternal communion (n. 33). However, along with the hope and infinite possibilities that ever-new and accelerated technologies bring us, Pope Francis does not refrain from pointing out the risks that now, but also in the medium and long term, make us vulnerable. In this sense, as a Catholic university, we have the responsibility to intensify training and care in dealing with this topic, because as we already see in our daily lives, the development of Artificial Intelligence has promoted significant changes in different social spaces, from communications to public administration, from family life to school life, from subjectivities to collectivities, from the economy to politics. And, occupying a unique place in the discussions, the Catholic Church has not only taken an interest in this debate, but is also committed to the ethical developments of possible new forms of exclusion and social problems that may arise from this context.

In this sense, to ensure that AI benefits everyone, it is crucial to adopt principles such as inclusion, transparency and security, and to establish bodies that oversee ethical issues, thus preventing personal data from being manipulated for commercial and political purposes, compromising freedom of choice.

Furthermore, existing legislation is still ineffective in controlling the different forms of violence and exposure in the virtual space. Technology, the Pope recalls, must be used to promote the common good and not to exacerbate inequalities or conflicts.

Machine learning and deep learning have had a decisive impact on reality, but they raise questions about the deeper meaning of life and truth. While helping us, these tools can create false and biased information, undermining trust in the media, exacerbating discrimination and electoral interference. They must therefore be used carefully to protect collective and personal well-being. One of their fundamental concerns, which relates directly to the Church’s social doctrine, is that the increasing use of Artificial Intelligence to assess the reliability of individuals and assign rights can exacerbate prejudices and social inequalities, since automated systems can reproduce errors and injustices. The invasive use of data and social credit systems can undermine human dignity, reducing individuals to mere data sets and ignoring essential values such as compassion and forgiveness. In the workplace, in addition to precariousness, automation can disproportionately benefit a few while harming many, making it essential that the international community prioritize respect for workers’ rights and wage equity. In times of war and conflict, how can we not mention the arms sector? The pontiff pointed out that the increasing automation of weapons, including independent lethal systems, raises serious concerns due to the difficulty of attributing moral responsibility to machines. The possibility of such weapons being used for destructive purposes increases the risk of promoting war and violence. In contrast, Artificial Intelligence, if directed towards peaceful ends, can promote integral human development and global fraternity. The advancement of Artificial Intelligence poses significant challenges for education and culture. While digital technologies expand forms of communication and can become powerful learning tools, there is an urgent need to reflect on how they shape relationships and teaching methods. Education must focus on developing critical thinking, enabling children, adolescents, young people and adults to discern and evaluate information coming from the web and information systems. We are constantly bombarded by an avalanche of information, but this does not mean that it generates knowledge in us. Furthermore, it is crucial to confront misinformation and old fears that hide behind new technologies. Educational and scientific institutions must guide technology training with an ethical and social focus, promoting integration and respect between cultures for a peaceful, plural and rich coexistence of encounters.

To ensure that AI contributes to peace and the common good, Pope Francis invited us to foster an “Algoretics” – an ethics of programming and the use of digital technologies. This involves incorporating values such as transparency, fairness and respect for privacy from the earliest stages of technological development. This includes building robust international regulation and promoting education that empowers individuals to use AI with discernment.

It was taking into account this complex and challenging context, but also full of educational and human opportunities that Pope Francis points out to us, that PUCPR approved, on August 21, 2024, in its University Council, the Guidelines for the use of Artificial Intelligence – AI at PUCPR. They concern, above all, the institutional alignment for guiding ethical, responsible, intentional and conscious ways of using AI in the teaching and learning process and in research, thus seeking to mitigate risks to learning, cognitive development, academic honesty or others, that the reckless use of AI tools can bring. In addition, its objective is to provide support and assistance to teachers and students so that they can explore the potential that Artificial Intelligence tools make available.

This is PUCPR assuming its responsibility in the education of students prepared to build an environment in which Artificial Intelligence is at the service of building a better and fairer world for everyone."

(https://www.pucpress.com.br/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/CADERNOS_DO_CONTEMPORANEO_0000_P.pdf)