1 week Ago By Comms Week
Most Reverend Lucius Ugorji, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), the Archbishop of Owerri has raised caution on the deployment of Artificial Intelligence. Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria Ugorji called for a balance that prioritises human welfare alongside technological progress, mindful of ethics and morals, as well as risks such as job displacement, threat to world peace, spread of falsehood through propaganda, manipulation of the human person, and privacy concerns through advanced hacking and deepfakes. The clergyman raised the concern during the ComWeek Public Lecture in Abuja on Artificial Intelligence, noting that the exclusive use of technology in religious formation, pastoral care, and education has enhanced theological knowledge, accessibility and mission of the universal church.
Keynote Speaker at the event, Father Anthony Akinwale, deputy vice chancellor of Augustine University Lagos, dismissed the speculations that the intellectual roles of humans will be replaced by Artificial Intelligence, explaining that AI relied on humans to function and did not have a mind of its own to choose to or not to obey commands with which it was programmed. Akinwale further cautioned that AI should be solely used for the common good of mankind and not for destructive purposes. Most Reverend David Ajang, chairman on Social communication of the Catholic Bishops Conference, called for a reflection on the power of communication as a divine gift, �.
