Catholic Bishops: AI Can't Replicate the Soul

Published Date : 06/06/2025 

Catholic bishops from Maryland, Delaware, and Washington, D.C., have issued a pastoral letter addressing the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), emphasizing its potential benefits and risks while urging Christians to maintain their faith and discernment. 

Catholic bishops from Maryland, Delaware, and Washington, D.C., have released a pastoral letter addressing the rapid rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and the Church’s response to the numerous challenges and opportunities the technology presents.

Signed by Baltimore Archbishop William Lori, Cardinal Robert McElroy of Washington, Wilmington Bishop William Koenig, and Maryland’s four auxiliary bishops, the letter, titled “The Face of Christ in a Digital Age,” urges Christians to discern how to speak and live the Gospel amid the new language and powers emerging through artificial intelligence.

Released ahead of the solemnity of Pentecost, the bishops write that Christians should not fear the rapid development of technology, which “is not foreign to the Spirit’s work, for God’s Spirit moves through history, culture, and human creativity.” However, they pose a critical question: “Will we allow technology to form us in its image — or will we shape it according to the Gospel?”

The Catholic Church “must be a prophetic voice, calling the world to place the human person, made in the image of God, at the heart of this transformation,” the letter states. “No matter how advanced machines become, they can never replicate the soul, the conscience, or the eternal destiny that belongs to each human being,” the bishops argue.

The letter highlights AI’s potential benefits to humanity in the realms of health care, education, evangelization, and humanitarian efforts while warning of its risks, including job displacement, the use of lethal autonomous weapons, and the manipulation of truth. In an era where digitally fabricated content blurs the line between truth and falsehood, the bishops strongly emphasize the development of virtue, especially regarding the formation of conscience.

“It is essential that we form consciences capable of discernment — especially among young people — so that they may not be manipulated by algorithms but by truth and grace,” the prelates write. “Digital tools can inform, but they cannot form the heart.” The bishops call for parishes and families to ground digital engagement and media literacy in Scripture and the sacramental life, and admonish the faithful to cultivate real “empathy and authentic relationships.”

Michael Hanby, a professor of religion and philosophy of science at the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family, told CNA that while the document “identifies some obvious dangers with AI as well as some good uses to which it can be put,” it does not go far enough. “There are other dangers,” Hanby continued, “especially the reduction of human intelligence ordered to understanding the truth, to a ‘functional intelligence without thinking or understanding,’ that the letter doesn’t really address.”

“It is built into the logic of technology, and especially technologies as powerful as this, that there are dangers that we simply cannot foresee. We have not yet fully comprehended this new kind of power,” Hanby said. The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and the Dicastery for Culture and Education addressed similar concerns in a note titled “Antiqua et Nova: Note on the Relationship Between Artificial Intelligence and Human Intelligence.”

“The Christian tradition regards the gift of intelligence as an essential aspect of how humans are created ‘in the image of God’ (Gn 1:27),” the note stated, emphasizing that “one of the goals of this technology is to imitate the human intelligence that designed it.” The dicastery acknowledged fears that AI could achieve a kind of superintelligence that “could one day eclipse the human person,” though some welcome this possibility.

“We do not know yet whether AI is simply a ‘tool’ that can be used or shaped according to the Gospel,” Hanby told CNA. “I wish the letter had emphasized more strongly the need for more philosophical thinking about this, and I wish it had taken a little more care to distinguish the movement of the Spirit, which is a mystery, from the history of technological progress. But then again, the letter presents an open-ended challenge, not the final word.”

Drawing parallels to other historical technological shifts like the invention of the printing press and the advent of the internet, the bishops in their letter encourage Catholics to approach AI with courage and hope, invoking the Holy Spirit to “renew the face of the earth” (Ps 104:30). 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS): 

Q: What is the main message of the pastoral letter from the Catholic bishops?

A: The main message of the pastoral letter is that while AI has potential benefits in various fields, it must be approached with discernment and a focus on human values and the soul, which technology cannot replicate.

Q: What are the potential benefits of AI mentioned in the letter?

A: The potential benefits of AI mentioned in the letter include advancements in health care, education, evangelization, and humanitarian efforts.

Q: What risks does the letter warn against?

A: The letter warns against risks such as job displacement, the use of lethal autonomous weapons, and the manipulation of truth through digitally fabricated content.

Q: Why is the formation of conscience emphasized in the letter?

A: The formation of conscience is emphasized to ensure that people, especially young people, are not manipulated by algorithms but are guided by truth and grace, capable of discernment in the digital age.

Q: What is the role of the Church according to the bishops' letter?

A: The role of the Church, according to the bishops' letter, is to be a prophetic voice that places the human person at the heart of technological transformation and to guide the faithful in using technology in a way that aligns with the Gospel. 

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