By Stella Enenche, Abuja
The President Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), Most Revd. Lucius Ugorji, has said the development and deployment of Artificial Intelligence (AI) digital technology must be approached with ethical rigour despite its enormous benefits.
He stated this on Wednesday in his keynote address at the Maiden Communication Week Public Lecture in Abuja.
The Archbishop of Owerri added that Al should be a tool for empowerment not a source of destruction.
“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 prioritizes 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.
“The Church has ceaselessly emphasized that collaboration between Al experts and social development practitioners is crucial. Together, we can identify areas where Al can significantly contribute to the common good.
“At this gathering, we hope to learn from experts the responsible and ethical use of Al, not only to benefit society but also to support the Church’s evangelization efforts. Thus, Al should be a tool for empowerment and progress, not a source of division and destruction,”.
The Most Reverend advised: ” I wish to stress that we need to walk this path with caution, wisdom, foresight, and a deep sense of responsibility. Echoing the mind of the Holy Father Pope Francis in his message for 2024 WCD, let us embrace Al not as a force that diminishes our humanity, but as a tool that amplifies our capacity for empathy, compassion, understanding, and service. Al is to build bridges, not barriers; to heal, not harm; to unite, not divide; to reinforce the image of God in
humanity, not to destroy or replace it.
On his part, the Archbishop Emeritus of Abuja, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, lauded
Pope Francis for his courageous stance on Artificial Intelligence.
According to Onaiyekan, the Holy Father’s message has resonated beyond Church circles, reaching the highest levels of the international community.
He emphasized the importance of the Pope’s warning while highlighting the Church’s position on scientific progress.
Onaiyekan said , “It is not everything that we can do that we should do. Even scientific progress must be subject to human, moral and ethical control. This is a responsibility that humanity abdicates at its great peril.
“All scientific progress is a gift of God to humanity, to be used for human well-being to the glory of God. The same is true for AI, which is the latest in a rapidly changing human control of power and machines from mechanical to electrical and electronic and now computer and digital tools,”he said.
The Cardinal while acknowledging the uncertainty surrounding AI’s future, said, “We don’t know how far developments in this regard will go. But the warning of Pope Francis remains valid.”
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