Philippine archbishop tells Catholic media to put dignity before AI speed

Caceres Archbishop Rex Andrew Alarcon has urged Catholic communicators to use artificial intelligence responsibly, warning that the technology can produce convincing words, photographs, voices and videos depicting events or people that never existed. Speaking on Oct. 3 at the 2nd Cebu Metropolitan Catholic Mass Media Congress, Alarcon called for engagement with AI that is responsible, effective, safe and meaningful. He chairs the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines’ Episcopal Commission on Social Communication. The archbishop said the technology could serve the good but could also cause harm, requiring communicators to be vigilant in its use. He said their task demanded more than technical skill and creativity: “We need communicators who are not simply technically competent, but morally discerning; not simply creative, but responsible; not simply fast, but faithful.” Alarcon placed human dignity at the centre of that responsibility. “Behind every photograph, every story, every controversy is a person,” he said. “Catholic communication is therefore not simply about information. It is about human dignity.” He said communicators should protect dignity and build trust amid concerns over AI-generated misinformation, cyberbullying, online scams and other digital harms. He described the congress as a timely response to the need to safeguard humanity, and likened the digital environment to a garden entrusted to human care. Communicators, he said, should cultivate the good, care for truth and reveal beauty. The 2025 Vatican note *Antiqua et Nova* said systems capable of producing text and images indistinguishable from human work raised ethical questions and concerns for truth in public discourse. It said AI applications should serve human progress, the common good and the dignity of the person. In May, Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical *Magnifica Humanitas* said digitalization, AI and robotics were rapidly reshaping daily life. It said technology could improve living conditions, heal, connect and educate, but could also divide, exclude and create new forms of injustice if not directed toward the good. Alarcon said the Church must engage the digital world because it has become central to daily life, particularly for young people and children.