Asian bishops urge safeguards on artificial intelligence use

The Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC) has called on church leaders across the region to establish safeguards governing the use of artificial intelligence (AI).

“As catalyst of the fourth industrial revolution, AI represents an important changing time, which we must recognize as a Gift and an opportunity for humanity,” said FABC Office of Social Communication (FABC-OSC) chairman Bishop Marcelino Antonio Maralit Jr. of San Pablo, Laguna.

The statement was issued during the Bishops Meet 2026, organized by FABC-OSC in Macau from 27 to 31 October.

“Since technology is never neutral in practice, and efficiency alone is never a sufficient measure of moral goodness, the Church must ensure that AI is at the service of Communion,” Maralit said.

At the conclusion of the gathering, Maralit said FABC-OSC committed to encouraging episcopal conferences to establish pastoral safeguards for AI use suited to their respective contexts and aligned with Church teachings.

The federation also vowed to promote AI literacy and educate people at all levels on the critical and ethical use of the technology.

It also plans to encourage episcopal conferences to produce and make authentic doctrinal and pastoral resources, including papal documents, digitally available in local languages to help AI platforms accurately represent the Christian faith.

The organization further committed to encouraging episcopal conferences to recognize, mentor and integrate digital creators by providing spiritual guidance, encouragement, and support structures and networks for their work.

Citing 2026 DataReportal figures, Maralit said Asia has become the world's digital center, accounting for two-thirds of the six billion internet users worldwide.

“We bear the brunt of digital wounds such as trafficking in cyber-scam compounds, online sexual exploitation, deepfakes undermining truth, and temptations to pursue visibility or replace prayerful preparation with generated content,” Maralit said.

“We also recognize the hidden costs of AI: exploitative labor, traumatic content modernization, environmental destruction, and the misrepresentation of Asian cultures and religious traditions,” he added.