Church to hold convention on AI

The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) will hold a national convention that will tackle the effects of artificial intelligence.

The convention, with the theme “AI: Authentic Influencers for an Empowered Church,” is set for August 5 to 8 in Lipa City, Batangas.

“We would be inviting some speakers from other countries, who would enlighten us on what is happening already with the use of AI,” said Bishop Marcelino Antonio Maralit Jr, chairman of the CBCP’s Episcopal Commission on Social Communications and Mass Media, in a recent briefing.

Maralit said the Church does not see AI as a negative element despite the presence of “deepfakes” or digitally manipulated media meant to replace a person’s likeness convincingly with that of another.

“We are not against AI. There is always a positive side to the reality of technology, and the Holy Father, and even the Church, recognizes to never deny that technology is good for us,” he said.

“When it comes to issues regarding AI, we are now in that situation when we are already talking about it, considering it, reflecting on it,” he added.

Maralit said the public should not focus only on the negative aspects, such as deepfakes, but rather look into its overall value.

“It’s an evolving reality… We just have to talk about it first and consider realities, both positive and negative, when it comes to its use,” he said.