The Apostolic Nuncio in Ghana has urged members of the Conference of Major Superiors of Religious, Ghana (CMSR-GH) to ensure that emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) serve human dignity and the mission of the Church.

 In his address on Thursday, October 8, during the CMSR-GH’s ongoing biannual conference in Ghana’s Catholic Diocese of Wa, Archbishop Julien Kaboré said AI presents both opportunities and challenges for religious life.

 “We are living through an extraordinary technological transformation: artificial intelligence. It is rapidly changing education, communication, health care, administration, and even the way human beings relate to one another,” Archbishop Kaboré said.

 “We just cannot ignore it, nor should we fear it blindly. AI raises serious questions concerning truth, employment, privacy, human dignity, education, manipulation, and the future of younger generations,” he added.

 The Holy Father’s representative in Ghana called on religious institutes to educate the younger generation on the efficient use of the new technologies, saying, “Religious institutes, particularly those involved in education and formation, will increasingly have to help young people distinguish between information and wisdom, between technological efficiency and authentic human flourishing.”

 The Vatican diplomat encouraged members of CMSR-GH to utilize the new technology in accomplishing their God-given responsibilities, especially when it comes to humanity.

 “Technology can serve the mission. Used responsibly, AI can support education. It can support health care, research, administration, and communication. It can help overcome linguistic and geographical barriers and make knowledge more accessible to communities that have historically lacked resources,” he said.

 “And the decisive question, therefore, is not simply what can AI do; the deeper question is what kind of humanity do we want technology to serve. Technology must remain the service to the human person and never the reverse,” he added.

Archbishop Kaboré highlighted some of the challenges the religious institutions are facing, such as fewer resources, demanding institutions, economic uncertainty, social tensions, conflicts, and environmental difficulties, urging them to remain hopeful and patient amid challenges.

 “We have to become weavers of hope in our world. In the humble fidelity of daily life, even the era of AI can become a time in which the Holy Spirit brings about the civilization of love in our lives,” he said.