After experiencing a journey to the roots of the Institute in the places tied to the origins of the Holy Founder (Castelnuovo Don Bosco, Alpignano, the Mother House, and the Shrine of the Consolata in Turin), the group of jubilee missionaries attending the ongoing formation course returned to Rome with hearts warmed by the charism of the ad gentes mission.
On Monday, May 26, the course program offered a day dedicated to exploring a very current reality: the world of Artificial Intelligence (AI), with its challenges and opportunities.
The theme was presented by Father Davide Imeneo, journalist and director of L’Avvenire di Calabria, who is currently pursuing a doctorate in communication at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome. The specialist began his reflection by stating, “The tool of Artificial Intelligence is here to stay, whether we like it or not.”
When using AI tools, it is essential to know how to formulate and ask questions as precisely as possible to obtain credible answers. According to Father Davide Imeneo, when approaching AI, it is necessary to ask targeted, contextualised, and specific questions. “The better the question is asked, the better the answer will be,” he said, demonstrating this with practical examples.
AI represents a “new industrial revolution” because the relationship with work has changed significantly. Machines have replaced certain jobs, but at the same time, they have opened up new fields of activity, requiring humans to adapt to find their rightful place in this new labour market landscape.
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One of the problems with AI is that those who manage or input information often do not consider ethics or morality. Since it is a universal and borderless system, it is difficult to establish clear rules for data provision and verifying the accuracy of available information.
Another challenge is the environmental issue, as the energy and water consumption required to run and cool entire computing systems is extremely high.
Father Davide Imeneo emphasised that today, data is the “new oil.” Whoever owns the database holds the capital and the control.
For this reason, AI cannot be an end in itself, but merely a tool. Human beings are the end goal and have the duty to guide technology. This is why it is important to use it ethically.
AI can provide answers in a very short time, solving many challenges and offering numerous possibilities. It is true that we are not yet fully ready to engage in dialogue with new generations in the technological field, but we are called to move in this direction, always remaining open to these new tools that offer many alternatives and opportunities – even in the field of evangelisation – accompanying the communities that are in daily contact with them.
Evangelisation must keep up to date and use technological tools to stay in step with society’s evolution and to offer appropriate responses to the realities of each era, in order to transmit the message of Christ and the Church. Evangelising today is neither more nor less difficult than in the past. But the context is different, and for this reason, we must adapt to the present reality.
In this spirit, the speaker also presented some websites that can be very useful in using AI, helping with pastoral work, content preparation, and engaging younger generations. Young people often search the internet for answers to their questions because in the real world, they do not feel heard and are not satisfied with the responses they receive. Father Davide Imeneo also demonstrated various available tools, allowing the missionaries to see the speed of the responses, the range of options in different fields, and their practical applications.
* Father Arlei Pivetta, IMC, missionary in Boa Vista, Roraima.
