In this second part, the reflection on “Artificial Intelligence and Vincentian Charism” Fr. Roger Mamani Choque, CM addresses the ethical, value and pragmatic issues surrounding the challenges of this major paradigm shift.
Artificial Intelligence and Vincentian Charisma: Reflections in a Technological World – Part 1
Artificial intelligence in our daily lives
Artificial intelligence (AI) has become so deeply integrated into our daily lives that we often take its capabilities for granted without questioning how it works. From unlocking our devices with facial recognition to instantly translating texts in different languages, AI facilitates many of our daily activities, as Hernando et al. (2022) argue.
Listed below are some prominent examples of how AI is present in different aspects of our lives:
- Health: Apps for running, sleep monitoring, and diet management, as well as voice assistants for self-care and early disease detection.
- Leisure: Streaming platforms that recommend films and music based on our tastes; video games that adapt to the user experience.
- Communication: Real-time photo editing and simultaneous translators in video conferences, improving the quality and accessibility of our interactions.
- Personalised learning: Educational platforms that adapt the content to the needs and pace of each student.
- Navigation systems: GPS that optimise routes based on real-time traffic and road conditions.
- Home automation: Virtual assistants that control lights, thermostats, and other devices, creating smart homes.
- Photo storage: Systems that automatically recognise and classify images, facilitating their management and search.
- Word processors: Predictive text functions and real-time translators improve writing and communication.
- Marketing: Personalised product recommendations and customer service to optimise the shopping experience.
- Security: Spam detection, fraud, and advanced in-vehicle security systems, protecting users and their data.
Rodriguez (2020), in his book “Artificial Intelligence: How it will change the world (and your life)”, highlights applications of AI in areas such as tourism, security, finance, employment, and physical and mental health. Furthermore, according to Coppola (2024), we could expand this list to areas such as medicine, financial services, technology, manufacturing, and education.
It is also relevant to consider AI in the context of the Vincentian mission and charism, which opens up new opportunities and challenges. For Vincentians, using AI in our mission involves more than simply adopting it as a useful tool; it requires a deep understanding of how it works and its implications. This understanding is crucial to making informed decisions about its use, bearing in mind that AI, while a powerful tool, cannot by itself discern what is best, worst, or most appropriate in each circumstance.
For example, many AI-based applications collect and use personal data, which raises questions about privacy and ethics in their handling. Critical AI literacy is therefore essential, enabling users to evaluate their use in a responsible and ethical manner. This literacy should be an integral part of any training programme, addressing technical as well as ethical and philosophical aspects (Flores and Garcia, 2023).
For Vincentians today, reflecting on the ethics of AI is vital. This requires not only an awareness of the values involved but also a deepening of the technology itself. Knowledge of AI should lead us to design and develop algorithmic literacy schemes, which should be incorporated into training in any field of knowledge. The Church and the Vincentian charism must actively participate in this reflection to ensure that the adoption of AI is aligned with ethical principles and the well-being of the community.
As we explore AI applications, such as those available from Toolify, we need to keep in mind that these are tools intended to help people and institutions in their day-to-day work. Using them critically and thoughtfully is essential to maximise their benefits and minimise their risks, ensuring that they serve a positive and ethical purpose.
Church and Mission in the age of artificial intelligence
For St. Vincent de Paul, the fundamental mission of the Church is to continue the work of Christ: to do on earth what He did and to cooperate with Him in the salvation of humanity (Sagastagoitia, 2006). In the age of artificial intelligence (AI), the Church is called to integrate into this new context, and as Vincentians, our mission is to accompany the Church in this transition. St. Vincent used various expressions to refer to the Church, describing it as the Bride of the Saviour, the vineyard of the Lord, a harvest that requires labourers, and the mystical body of Christ (SVP, I, 557; V, 100, 165; VIII, 114; IX, 21, 941). Today, in the rapid integration of AI, these terms take on a new relevance.
Within the Church, St. Vincent de Paul placed a special emphasis on the poor, whom he described as “the afflicted members of our Lord” (SVP, I, 158). In the age of AI, we find that many of these “afflicted” face new forms of vulnerability, such as the digital divide and unequal access to technological benefits. St. Vincent already observed in his time that the Church was suffering losses in Europe, but he encouraged missionaries not to lose heart in the face of difficulties (Sagastagoitia, 2006). This same missionary openness must be extended today to a world increasingly influenced by technology and AI. The mission of the Church cannot be abandoned, even when faced with unprecedented challenges.
St. Vincent often spoke of discovering God’s plan and the missionary vocation of the Church. He joyfully expressed: “O Saviour, what joy you feel to see these servants and this fervour to defend and maintain what is left to you here, while they go to others to conquer for you new lands” (SVP, XI, 246). This call to explore “new lands” extends today to “digital natives”, technology, AI, and other emerging fields as a challenge for evangelisation. St. Vincent also exhorted to hold on to the Church’s possessions with determination and to work tirelessly to make new conquests (SVP, XI, 246).
In the age of AI, it is crucial to pay attention not only to the benefits this technology brings, but also to the ethical issues it raises. AI must be discerned with respect to its impact on ethics, justice, care, dignity, responsibility, and values. In a letter to Pope Innocent X on 16 August 1652, St. Vincent highlighted the injustices faced by the people of his time (SVP, IV, 427). Today, technology and, in particular, AI, open doors that require care and discernment. St. Vincent’s concern for the formation of missionaries is relevant in this context, emphasising the need for “good priests” who can repair ignorance and vices, and free the Church from its sorry state (SVP, XI, 392). We Vincentians must form ourselves integrally to respond to the new challenges that society and the Church present to us and we can use AI as a tool to save and help others, but always with a critical, reflective and ethical approach.
St. Vincent encouraged priests to be “instruments of God to save many others” (SVP, V, 538). This spirit of mission and service remains relevant today, in an age where AI can amplify our missionary capacities. In reviewing St. Vincent’s writings, we marvel at the vision and advice he offered to missionaries and Daughters of Charity, underlining the importance of evangelising work in difficult contexts, as we face and respond to new social and pastoral challenges today.
In his final conferences, St. Vincent detailed the evangelising work directed at various groups: the people of the countryside, the elderly, the inhabitants of war-torn regions, the madmen of St. Lazarus, the young people of the reformatory of St. Lazarus, the abandoned children, the poor of the Indies, and the slaves of Barbary (SVP, XI, 381-398). Corera (1984) and Sagastagoitia (2006) add to this list those condemned to the galleys, ruined aristocrats, emigrants, war refugees, and soldiers, who were also the object of the dedication of St. Vincent and his missionaries. Today, we Vincentians carry out mission in different contexts and seek to do so with creativity and adaptation, including in the age of AI.
