D. José Tolentino Mendonça defends that technology never replaces human accompaniment

Cardinal José Tolentino Mendonça stated that the development of artificial intelligence requires a commitment to preserving human accompaniment in Portuguese schools. Speaking at the opening of a symposium in Fátima, the prefect of the Dicastery for Culture and Education noted that while AI can process data, recognize patterns, and simulate certain human functions, a person is not merely an information processing system.

Mendonça distinguished between computer calculations and human feeling, noting that people understand and assign meaning to their experiences of living, loving, and suffering. He suggested that societal changes are altering how younger generations seek answers regarding the meaning of existence.

The event is being organized by the Comissão Episcopal da Educação Cristã e Doutrina da Fé at the Centro Pastoral Paulo VI and continues until Saturday.