A 3-day meeting in Hong organised by the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences focuses on the challenges posed by Artificial Intelligence and the need to prioritise education and media literacy as safeguards for human freedom.
By Vatican News
HONG KONG — Asian bishops, communication leaders, and media professionals have opened the Bishops’ Meet–2025 in Hong Kong with a call to embrace artificial intelligence (AI) responsibly, grounding technological advances in human dignity, ethical discernment, and the mission of the Church.
The three-day gathering (10–12 December), organised by the Office of Social Communications of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC-OSC), is taking place at St. Francis University and brings together more than 30 participants from across the continent.
Cardinal Chow: AI as a gift for the common good
Celebrating the Opening Mass, Cardinal Stephen Chow, SJ, Bishop of Hong Kong, invited Asian communicators to regard AI as a “gift from God” whose use must remain oriented toward the good of humanity and the care of creation.
“I think AI is not from the devil. AI comes from God, who helps us,” he said during his homily. “I pray that this meeting will help us, liberate us, and inspire us to work with AI to achieve the blessings God intends for us.”
The Cardinal encouraged participants to approach technological developments with hope, careful discernment, and ethical clarity. Catholic media, he said, must uphold moral credibility even amid rapid change.
“Otherwise, how can we call ourselves Catholic media?” he asked. “When we put our hope in the Lord, we must first honour Him, not funding agents or ideologies. We need to discern God’s will for our mission in this shifting context.”
Cardinal Chow underscored that fidelity to conscience remains essential: “Whenever I spoke from my conscience, even when attacked, I still experienced peace.” Speaking from both personal and communal conscience shaped through synodal processes, he said, brings freedom and authenticity.
Quoting Jesus’ words, “My yoke is easy,” the Cardinal concluded that communicators, too, will find lightness “when we speak with our hearts, guided by the Spirit.”
Ruffini: Remaining fully human in the age of AI
Addressing the assembly on 10 December, Dr Paolo Ruffini, Prefect of the Dicastery for Communication, offered a wide-ranging reflection on the promise and risks of AI for the Church and society.
He cautioned against deepfakes, unverifiable sources, algorithmic filtering, and the opaque logic by which digital platforms shape information flows. These dynamics, he said, can enclose users in “filter bubbles” driven by commercial or ideological interests rather than truth.
Ruffini noted that dominant AI models often prioritise speed and attention over depth and accuracy, endangering freedom of thought and distorting public discourse.
Echoing messages from Pope Francis and Pope Leo XIV, he stressed the importance of education and media literacy as safeguards for human freedom. Critical thinking, discernment, and an ability to evaluate information, he said, are essential to prevent “the human heart itself” from becoming artificial.
“Artificial intelligence must never replace us,” he said, adding that the Church must help believers remain fully human in a digital era that can shape thought, memory, and behaviour.
Quoting Romano Guardini, he called for a renewed attitude proportionate to the power of technology—one rooted in conscience, responsibility, and truth.
“Intelligence cannot be artificial”
Reflecting more broadly on AI and the Church, Ruffini insisted that what is commonly termed “AI” remains a form of calculation—powerful yet limited.
“True wisdom cannot come from machines and algorithms,” he said. Believing that AI can offer total knowledge, he warned, risks repeating the temptation “to be like God.”
He emphasised that the real risks of AI arise from human decisions: “from those who own them, those who programme them, and those who use them.” Ethical oversight, he added, is necessary to ensure technology becomes an opportunity rather than a threat.
Ruffini also reflected on the need for genuine human encounter. AI-generated texts, images, or music, he said, can reduce the relational value of human creativity if not used responsibly. He encouraged participants to preserve time for reflection, dialogue, and authentic relationships.
Delegates and sessions
Seven bishops and more than 15 priests are taking part in the meeting, alongside lay professionals with expertise in digital media, fact-checking, and AI development. The Holy See is represented by two senior officials from the Dicastery for Communication.
Sessions include “AI and Its Impact on Humanity”; “AI and the Church”; “AI’s contribution to Catholic media”; “A Scripture and Church documents semantic search tool”; “New approaches to online verification”; “Principles for using AI in evangelisation”.
These discussions aim to help the Church in Asia evaluate the pastoral implications of digital transformation while maintaining the relational integrity at the heart of Christian communication.
AI in Asian evangelisation
In remarks to Radio Veritas Asia, Fr. John Mi Shen, Executive Secretary of FABC-OSC and Program Director of RVA, described AI as a tool already supporting the Church’s multilingual mission through translation, transcription, and content organisation.
“AI is only a tool. The heart of communication remains the human person,” he said. “Relationships, discernment, and authenticity cannot be automated.”
Themes raised in Hong Kong echo reflections from last month’s Great Pilgrimage of Hope in Penang, where communication specialist Nicholas Lim encouraged dioceses to build reliable Catholic knowledge bases and warned of the limitations of AI, including its lack of empathy and spiritual depth.
Toward pastoral guidelines for Asia
On 12 December, the bishops will meet to review national reports and collaborate on a draft of the Pastoral Guidelines for AI in Asia, intended to assist dioceses in responding to emerging technological challenges.
The assembly will conclude with a Mass presided by Bishop Marcelino Antonio M. Maralit Jr., Chairman of FABC-OSC, during which final statements and commitments will be presented.
