AI is generating a mental health crisis, warns Divine Mercy University president

Father Charles Sikorsky, president of Divine Mercy University, warned that the increasing presence of artificial intelligence in daily life is creating a mental health crisis for both adults and children. Speaking at the St. John Paul II National Shrine in Washington on Sept. 5, Sikorsky addressed these concerns as part of a dialogue series exploring Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical, Magnifica humanitas.

Sikorsky, a member of the Legionaries of Christ, noted that the encyclical raises anthropological questions about human identity and how the understanding of the person should guide social and technological development. He stated these questions are vital to the practice of psychology and the field of mental health.

The remarks come ahead of Mental Health Sunday on Oct. 11, an event within the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ National Catholic Mental Health Campaign. The bishops have previously encouraged Americans to address the ongoing mental health crisis in the United States.