Catholic bishops raise alarm over misuse of AI

The Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) has raised an alarm over the misuse of Artificial Intelligence (AI), especially by the youths in Nigeria and elsewhere.

The Archbishop of Owerri and President of CBCN, Most Rev. Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji, said this at the CBCN maiden edition of the Communications Week (ComWEEK) Public Lecture on Wednesday in Abuja.

The event themed ‘Artificial Intelligence: Challenges and Opportunities for Evangelisation and Social Development’ was part of activities marking the 2024 ComWEEK of the CBCN, 58th editions since Pope establishment of World Communication Day (WCD) in 1967.

Ugorji said, “Despite the enormous benefits, the development and deployment of Al digital technology must be approached with ethical rigour.

“We must strive for a balance that prioritises human welfare alongside technological progress, mindful of the ethical and moral dilemmas, as well as risks such as job displacement, threat to peace in the world, spread of falsehood through propaganda, manipulation of the human person, and privacy concerns through advanced hacking and deepfakes.”

Speaking on the theme, the Deputy Vice Chancellor of Augustine University, Ilara-Epe, Lagos State, Prof. Anthony Akinwale, noted that despite the fears associated with AI and other technologies, religion cannot ignore the accomplishments of science and technology.

Also, the Archbishop Emeritus of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, noted that the position of Pope Francis has been in line with the constant magisterium of the Church that all scientific progress is a gift of God to humanity, to be used for human well-being to the glory of God.