CEBU City — Catholic communicators must put human dignity at the center of their work as artificial intelligence reshapes the digital world, a Church leader said.
Archbishop Rex Andrew Alarcon told the 2nd Cebu Metropolitan Catholic Mass Media Congress that AI can now produce realistic words, photographs, voices and videos of things that never existed, creating new responsibilities for those who communicate.
“Behind every photograph, every story, every controversy is a person. Catholic communication is therefore not simply about information. It is about human dignity,” said Alarcon, chairman of the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Social Communications.
He said the task includes protecting dignity and building trust in a fast-changing media environment.
“We need communicators who are not simply technically competent, but morally discerning; not simply creative, but responsible; not simply fast, but faithful,” he said.
His remarks come amid concerns over AI-generated misinformation, cyberbullying, online scams and other harms linked to digital technology and social media.
Alarcon acknowledged the benefits of technology but said it can serve good or harmful ends and requires responsible engagement. He described the gathering as a “timely response” to the need to safeguard humanity.
“We are not a hopeless lot,” he said.
He urged communicators to see their work as stewardship, likening the digital environment to a garden entrusted to humanity. Their task, he said, is to “cultivate the good, care for the truth” and “reveal the beautiful.”
That includes telling stories of people serving the poor, helping communities recover from disasters, accompanying the grieving and supporting vulnerable people. Such stories may seem small, he said, but can inspire others and create a “groundswell” for good.
Alarcon said the Church must engage the digital world because it has become central to daily life, especially for young people and children.
“Almost in all aspects of our life, we use AI. And therefore there is no other way but to engage in a responsible, effective, safe and meaningful manner, as much as we can,” Alarcon said.
The challenge, he said, is to direct online attention toward what is good, true and beautiful, and ultimately toward Christ.
