It seems every industry, from finance to filmmaking, is having its “come to Jesus” moment with artificial intelligence. Well, now the Church is literally having one. While Silicon Valley obsesses over whether AI will achieve god-like superintelligence, a fascinating and arguably more grounded conversation unfolded in Hong Kong, where religious leaders gathered to ask a different question: what does it mean to be human in a world shaped by algorithms? This is the heart of the emerging field of AI religious ethics, and it’s a discussion we can’t afford to ignore.
In a recent three-day summit, the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC) brought a unique mix of over 30 people—cardinals, bishops, AI experts, and communicators—into one room. This wasn’t your typical tech event with hoodies and venture capitalists. Instead, it was a profound attempt by one of the world’s most enduring institutions to get its hands dirty with the messy, vital questions of our new technological age. As reported by Vatican News, the goal was to figure out how to guide a flock of over a billion people through a digital landscape that is being rewritten by the day.
A ‘Gift from God’ or a Pandora’s Box?
Let’s get one thing straight. The Church isn’t here to ban ChatGPT. In a refreshingly pragmatic statement, Cardinal Stephen Chow, the Bishop of Hong Kong, cut through the usual fear-mongering. “AI is not from the devil,” he declared. “AI comes from God, who helps us”.
Now, before you roll your eyes, let’s analyse what’s really being said here. This isn’t a blind endorsement. It’s a strategic move. By framing AI as a potential “gift,” the Church positions itself not as an antagonist fighting against progress, but as a crucial guide responsible for ensuring this gift is used wisely. It’s a way of saying, “This powerful tool is here to stay, so our job is to shape its application, not to fear its existence.” It’s a subtle but powerful claim of moral authority in a domain often dominated by purely technical or commercial interests.
This framing forces the conversation away from a simple “good vs. evil” binary and towards a more nuanced discussion about purpose. If AI is a tool, then what are we building with it? And more importantly, who benefits?
Designing ‘Pastoral Technology’
The term that kept emerging from the Hong Kong AI conference was pastoral technology. What on earth does that mean? It’s not about an app for taking confession (let’s hope not, anyway). Think of it this way: when Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press, the Church didn’t just see it as a faster way to copy manuscripts. It became a tool that fundamentally reshaped evangelisation, education, and religious identity for centuries.
Pastoral technology applies the same logic to AI. It’s about building and using digital tools that are intentionally designed to support human dignity, community, and spiritual well-being. For example, Fr. John Mi Shen noted that AI is already proving useful for translating Church communications into multiple languages, breaking down barriers. But the vision is much bigger. It’s about creating ethical frameworks that ensure the technology serves human connection rather than replacing it.
This means asking tough questions during the design phase. Does this algorithm promote understanding or division? Does this platform encourage genuine relationships or just shallow engagement? Does it respect privacy and human freedom, or is it designed to manipulate and control? As Dr. Paolo Ruffini, a key figure from the Vatican’s Dicastery for Communication, warned, the great risk is allowing algorithms to silently “undermine human freedom and relational authenticity.”
The Ghost in the Machine: What AI Can’t Do
For all the talk of potential, the leaders in Hong Kong were acutely aware of AI’s profound limitations. The central truth is that an algorithm has no soul. It cannot feel empathy, offer genuine compassion, or grapple with the deep existential questions that are the very bedrock of faith. A large language model can write a technically perfect sermon, but it can’t look a grieving person in the eye and offer a moment of shared humanity.
This is where the human element remains irreplaceable. The bishops stressed that while AI can be a powerful assistant, it can never replace the core of pastoral work, which is built on human-to-human relationships. As the Vatican News article highlights, there’s a real danger in mistaking an AI’s convincing mimicry of language for genuine understanding or wisdom. The model is simply a pattern-matching machine, an incredibly sophisticated parrot. It can repeat the words of comfort, but it has no comprehension of what comfort truly is.
The assembly also pointed to more immediate threats like deepfakes and filter bubbles, which can be weaponised to spread misinformation and sow division—dangers that are massively amplified in contexts of faith and trust. How can a community thrive when its members can’t be sure if the video of their leader is real or a malicious fabrication?
The Playbook: Education and Discernment
So, what’s the Church’s strategy for navigating this minefield? They can’t exactly legislate OpenAI or Google. Instead, their playbook focuses on what they do best: education. The key recommendation from the meeting was to double down on media literacy and ethical discernment.
This is a remarkably shrewd approach. The FABC recognises it cannot control the technology’s development, but it can equip its followers with the critical thinking skills to use it wisely. The plan is to draft practical principles to help dioceses across Asia make sense of AI. This involves teaching people to ask critical questions about the information they consume and the technologies they use.
Essentially, the strategy is to inoculate the community against the worst impulses of the digital age by fostering a culture of mindful technology use. It’s a long-term, scalable solution that empowers individuals rather than relying on top-down control. It’s about teaching the flock how to spot the digital wolves in sheep’s clothing.
The conversation that started in Hong Kong is far from over. This meeting was the opening chapter in a long and complex story about AI religious ethics. It signals a move by a major global institution to proactively engage with technology, not as a passive consumer, but as an active moral participant.
The questions they are asking are not just for Catholics; they are for everyone. How do we build technology that enriches our humanity instead of diminishing it? What ethical frameworks can ensure that these powerful tools serve the common good? And when we seek connection, wisdom, or comfort, will we know the difference between a real presence and a convincing echo?
What do you think? Can technology ever truly align with spiritual values, or are they fundamentally incompatible? Let me know your thoughts below.
