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Maryland’s Catholic bishops called June 5 for the responsible development of artificial intelligence (AI), urging Catholics and policymakers alike to ensure emerging technologies serve humanity — not replace it.
Signed by Baltimore Archbishop William E. Lori, Washington Cardinal Wilton Gregory, Wilmington Bishop William Koenig, and the state’s four auxiliary bishops, the pastoral letter, titled “The Face of Christ in a Digital Age,” stresses that AI must never compromise the inviolable dignity of the human person or deepen existing injustices.
The letter was released to coincide with the Church’s celebration of Pentecost, the Maryland Catholic Conference reported. In a nod to Pentecost’s message of global unity, the bishops warned against the exploitation of vulnerable populations through “digital colonialism” or surveillance, and called for global solidarity in tech ethics.
“We must act in solidarity with people across the globe,” they stated, “ensuring that the fruits of innovation are shared justly and used for peace.”
The bishops’ letter frames the Church’s response to AI as a spiritual and ethical challenge, asking pointedly: “Will we allow technology to form us in its image — or will we shape it according to the Gospel?”
“AI must always serve the person, never diminish or replace human dignity,” the bishops wrote.
While they acknowledged AI’s potential to transform healthcare, education, and evangelization, they warned of serious risks, including worker displacement, biased algorithms, and autonomous weapons that remove moral responsibility from life-and-death decisions.
Catholic institutions, the bishops said, have a duty to lead in ethical reflection and advocacy. They urged Catholic schools, parishes, and families to foster media literacy, form consciences rooted in virtue, and ground digital engagement in Scripture and the sacramental life.
AI’s potential in areas like translation, disability access, climate stewardship, and disaster response received attention as well.
“Despite the concerns we have mentioned, we also affirm that AI, when developed and used ethically, can greatly contribute to the mission of the Church and the common good,” they wrote. “Like the printing press, radio or the internet, AI is a tool and tools can be directed toward holiness, healing and human development.”
The Maryland bishops closed their letter with a call to courage and discernment, urging the faithful not to fear new technologies but to shape them with wisdom, rooted in the Gospel.
“As followers of Christ,” they wrote, “we are called not to fear the future, but to shape it with courage and faith — proclaiming Christ in new ways, to new peoples, with new tongues.”
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