Asian bishops call for AI to serve human dignity

The Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences Office of Social Communications (FABC-OSC) has called on regional bishops' conferences to adopt safeguards for artificial intelligence and increase support for digital missionaries. Following a five-day meeting in Macau, the FABC-OSC issued a statement signed by chairman Bishop Marcelino Antonio Maralit Jr. requesting that episcopal conferences establish pastoral AI policies appropriate to their specific contexts.

The FABC-OSC urged the implementation of digital literacy programs and the creation of authentic Church resources in local languages. To support those working online, the bishops announced plans to form a regional committee to train and support digital missionaries. The OSC and Radio Veritas Asia also pledged to promote the Asian Catholic Digital Missionaries Network to integrate digital work into the evangelization mission of the Church.

The meeting coincided with the 450th anniversary of the Diocese of Macau. During the gathering, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization, delivered a talk titled "Magnifica Humanitas: Synodal Ways for Evangelization in Asia" at Macau Cathedral. The FABC-OSC statement also identified digital threats such as deepfakes, cyber scams, online sexual exploitation, unequal technology access, and exploited labor.