Mons. Oscar Cantú says Church is ready to apply ethical criteria to itself

Bishop Oscar Cantú said the Church is prepared to apply ethical standards to its own use of artificial intelligence. As president of the United States bishops' task force on artificial intelligence, Cantú noted that dioceses have already begun creating rules and guidelines for the responsible use of the technology.

The task force plans to study successful practices within dioceses to create tools that help local churches and bishops use artificial intelligence safely and consciously. Cantú stated that while technology is advancing rapidly, the Church must establish these frameworks because people are already using these tools.

Cantú identified the protection of young people as a priority, specifically regarding chatbots used by adolescents. He noted that developers must include safeguards to prevent programs from encouraging users to harm themselves or others, citing previous tragedies where users caused themselves harm. While some developers have implemented these protections, Cantú said all should adopt them and called on legislators to regulate the technology. He added that youth ministry has already integrated mental health support to help young people dealing with loneliness, depression, or anxiety.