The opening remarks from Fr. Harris Pakkam, the Director of the Salesian News Agency (ANS) set the tone for an engaging and thought-provoking session. He shared his thoughts with the participants stating that AI cannot be a substitute for human intelligence or human creativity; it’s only a help.
Quoting Pope Francis, he added that “technology should be human-centered, ethically grounded, and directed toward the common good.” Touching on the upcoming 2023 World Youth Day theme “Mary went with haste,” he challenged the audience, particularly the SDBs, to accompany the young in rediscovering the meaning of ‘haste’, as they venture into the digital world, specially with AI.
The chief resource person was Br. Paul Dungca, who discussed the benefits and challenges of integrating AI into youth ministry, the ethical considerations that must be taken into account, and the potential impact of AI on the future of youth ministry. His M.A paper delved on this relevant theme, and his insights and questions brought lot of awareness to the participants on all the key issues concerning AI and Youth ministry. He exhorted that the Salesians should be trained well in this area and should also be involved in providing and feeding content for AI, as that determines the content of AI.
Fr. Jerry Martin, the provincial of the Philippines North Province took part in the webinar and also shared interesting insights on the theme of Artificial Intelligence and Youth Ministry.
The webinar was well planned and organized by the FIN Social Communications delegate Fr. Donnie Duchiya. Expressing his opinion on the webinar he affirmed, “I believe the webinar provided an overview of the influence of AI on our accompaniment of young people, and these guidelines and insights will definitely be a great help to the confreres. Initiative of this sort is a testament to the Province's commitment to encouraging meaningful conversations that transcend boundaries and foster a sense of unity and purpose among individuals from diverse backgrounds.”
As the webinar drew to a close, participants expressed their appreciation for the enriching experience and the valuable insights gained from the forum.
