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

Bishop Oscar Cantú said the Church is prepared to apply the same ethical standards to itself that it proposes for the technology sector. 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 AI.

The task force plans to study successful practices within dioceses to create tools that help local bishops and churches use AI safely and consciously. Cantú emphasized that developers must include protections in programs, such as chatbots, to prevent users from being encouraged to harm themselves or others. He noted that the Church is deeply concerned about the risk of users causing self-harm, citing previous tragedies.

While some developers have already implemented these protections, Cantú stated that all developers should adopt them and that legislators must regulate the technology. He added that through youth ministry, the Church has already integrated mental health support into its programs to encourage young people to seek help for loneliness, depression, or anxiety.