Spain – The ethical challenges of Artificial Intelligence in Youth Ministry

22 April 2024

(ANS – Madrid) – The National Salesian Centre for Youth Ministry, in collaboration with the Salesian publishing house Editorial CCS organised the "2nd Dialogue on Youth Ministry": a day of formation, held on 12 April at the Provincial House of the Salesians in Spain's St James the Greater Province (SSM), focused on a discussion on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its implications for Youth Ministry from a Christian perspective.

The day began with opening greetings from Fr Samuel Segura, Vice-Provincial of the SSM Province, and Fr Juan Carlos Pérez Godoy, Councillor for the Mediterranean Region, and with the introduction on the theme by Fr José Miguel Núñez, Director of the Salesian National Centre for Youth Ministry, who set the tone for the meeting aimed at exploring the challenges and opportunities posed by AI from a pastoral perspective.

"Artificial Intelligence is here to stay and to creep into our lives, offering a different way of contact with reality, modifying our vision of the world and altering our relational world. It is also relevant because it poses important challenges to the task of evangelisation by the Church, touching on ethical aspects and placing us before a virtual world that requires interpretations and new access keys that, at the same time, do not distort our relational world and that of the young people to whom it is addressed."

The morning continued with the first address by Jaime Tatay, from the Pontifical University of Comillas, who addressed the challenges that AI poses to pastoral action. Among the highlights of his address were:

–       The use of technology to prevent and accompany difficult situations;

–       The need for an open dialogue on the conflicts and challenges that arise in the social, family and pastoral spheres;

–       The importance of ethical discernment in the use of these tools, for the benefit of apostolic and pastoral activities.

The work also included a round table moderated by Fr Koldo Gutiérrez, involving Juan Ramón La Parra, a priest of the diocese of Barcelona, and José Fernando Juan, professor of philosophy and Marianist educator. In the discussion, the speakers addressed the ethical issues posed by the development of AI, highlighting the need to integrate technology into the history of salvation and to generate real spaces of contact between people.

In the afternoon, the day saw the extraordinary participation of Carmen Pellicer, President of the Trilema Foundation, offering a profound reflection on the ethical limits and possibilities of AI in pastoral activity. Among the key points of this address were:

–       The importance of educating young people to ethically discern the use of technology;

–       The complementary role of human intelligence and Artificial Intelligence in the formation of individuals;

–       The need to create ethical emotional habits in a constantly evolving digital environment.

The day ended with the presentation of the document of the Vatican Dicastery for Communication entitled "Towards a full presence. Pastoral reflection on engagement with social media", which was illustrated by Fr Javier Valiente, Delegate for Social Communications for the Salesians in Spain. He had the opportunity to highlight the importance of overcoming indifference and promoting meaningful encounters in the digital environment, inspired by an attitude of mercy and active listening to the other.

"This second day of the Pastoral Dialogues opened a space for dialogue and fundamental reflection to address the challenges and opportunities that AI presents in the context of youth ministry, in line with the values and principles of Christian anthropology", concluded the SSM Salesians at the end of this experience.

Source: Salesianos.info

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