• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Catholic Review

Catholic Review

Inspiring the Archdiocese of Baltimore

Menu
  • Home
  • News
        • Local News
        • World News
        • Vatican News
        • Obituaries
        • Featured Video
        • En Español
        • Sports News
        • Official Clergy Assignments
        • Schools News
  • Commentary
        • Contributors
          • Question Corner
          • George Weigel
          • Elizabeth Scalia
          • Michael R. Heinlein
          • Effie Caldarola
          • Guest Commentary
        • CR Columnists
          • Archbishop William E. Lori
          • Rita Buettner
          • Christopher Gunty
          • George Matysek Jr.
          • Mark Viviano
          • Father Joseph Breighner
          • Father Collin Poston
          • Robyn Barberry
          • Hanael Bianchi
          • Amen Columns
  • Entertainment
        • Events
        • Movie & Television Reviews
        • Arts & Culture
        • Books
        • Recipes
  • About Us
        • Contact Us
        • Our History
        • Meet Our Staff
        • Photos to own
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • CR Media platforms
        • Electronic Edition
  • Advertising
  • Shop
        • Purchase Photos
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • Magazine Subscriptions
        • Archdiocesan Directory
  • CR Radio
        • CR Radio
        • Protagonistas de Fe
  • News Tips
  • Subscribe
Pope Francis begins his weekly general audience in the Paul VI Audience Hall at the Vatican Jan. 29, 2025. (CNS photo/Lola Gomez)

AI must serve, not replace, teacher-student relationship, Vatican says

February 2, 2025
By Justin McLellan
Catholic News Service
Filed Under: News, Schools, Vatican, World News

Share
Share on Facebook
Share
Share this
Pin
Pin this
Share
Share on LinkedIn

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The use of artificial intelligence in schools must not threaten “the indispensable relationship between teacher and student” that lies at the heart of education, the Vatican said.

“The physical presence of a teacher creates a relational dynamic that AI cannot replicate,” the Vatican said in a document presenting guidance on AI development and application.

The document, titled “Antiqua et Nova (ancient and new): Note on the Relationship Between Artificial Intelligence and Human Intelligence,” was prepared by the dicasteries for the Doctrine of the Faith and for Culture and Education, approved by Pope Francis and released Jan. 28.

In addition to analyzing the role of AI in interpersonal relationships, law, work, art, health care and warfare, the document offered reflections on the role of AI in educational settings.

If used in a prudent manner, AI can become “a valuable educational resource by enhancing access to education, offering tailored support and providing immediate feedback to students,” it said. “These benefits could enhance the learning experience, especially in cases where individualized attention is needed, or educational resources are otherwise scarce.”

Still, the dicasteries warned that “extensive use of AI in education could lead to the students’ increased reliance on technology, eroding their ability to perform some skills independently and worsening their dependence on screens.”

Many AI systems, the document said, “merely provide answers instead of prompting students to arrive at answers themselves or write text for themselves.”

Education should encourage people to intelligently face challenges for themselves rather than train young people “to amass information and generate quick responses,” it continued.

Citing Pope Francis’ message on artificial intelligence for the World Day of Peace 2024, the document said that young people must learn how to discern the data and content produced by AI, and the schools and universities that train them “are challenged to help students and professionals grasp the social and ethical aspects of the development and uses of technology.”

The document also acknowledged that AI programs can provide biased or fabricated information “which can lead students to trust inaccurate content” and “undermines the educational process itself.” As a guideline, it suggested that the use of AI in educational settings “should always be transparent and never misrepresented.”

At a time of such rapid technological developments, Catholic universities “are urged to be present as great laboratories of hope at this crossroads of history,” the dicasteries said. By developing a cross-disciplinary approach, they must pursue “ethically sound applications” for AI “that clearly serve the cohesion of our societies and the common good, reaching new frontiers in the dialogue between faith and reason.”

Copyright © 2025 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

Print Print

Share
Share on Facebook
Share
Share this
Pin
Pin this
Share
Share on LinkedIn

Primary Sidebar

Justin McLellan

Click here to view all posts from this author

For the latest news delivered twice a week via email or text message, sign up to receive our free enewsletter.

| MOST POPULAR |

  • Prince of Peace merges with St. Francis de Sales in Harford County

  • Detroit archbishop fires theologians Ralph Martin, Eduardo Echeverría from seminary

  • Construction underway on new north addition to St. Joseph’s Nursing Home 

  • Archdiocese of Baltimore offers resources for parishes to assist migrants

  • Archbishop Wenski leads Knights on Bikes to pray rosary at Alligator Alcatraz

| Latest Local News |

Archdiocese of Baltimore offers resources for parishes to assist migrants

Third annual gun buyback scheduled for Aug. 9

Driver arrested after crashing into entrance of Esperanza Center

Construction underway on new north addition to St. Joseph’s Nursing Home 

Prince of Peace merges with St. Francis de Sales in Harford County

| Latest World News |

Can’t afford a Catholic college? Think again. Many offer full tuition options

Detroit archbishop fires theologians Ralph Martin, Eduardo Echeverría from seminary

LA archbishop, joined by business leaders, starts fund to help families affected by ICE raids

FBI surveilled SSPX priest amid probe of suspected neo-Nazi’s plans for violence

Poland’s ‘living memorial’ to St. John Paul II marks 25 years of transforming lives

| Catholic Review Radio |

CatholicReview · Catholic Review Radio

Footer

Our Vision

Real Life. Real Faith. 

Catholic Review Media communicates the Gospel and its impact on people’s lives in the Archdiocese of Baltimore and beyond.

Our Mission

Catholic Review Media provides intergenerational communications that inform, teach, inspire and engage Catholics and all of good will in the mission of Christ through diverse forms of media.

Contact

Catholic Review
320 Cathedral Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
443-524-3150
mail@CatholicReview.org

 

Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Recent

  • Can’t afford a Catholic college? Think again. Many offer full tuition options
  • Detroit archbishop fires theologians Ralph Martin, Eduardo Echeverría from seminary
  • LA archbishop, joined by business leaders, starts fund to help families affected by ICE raids
  • FBI surveilled SSPX priest amid probe of suspected neo-Nazi’s plans for violence
  • Poland’s ‘living memorial’ to St. John Paul II marks 25 years of transforming lives
  • Our faith is not afraid of questions
  • Catholic ‘American Ninja Warrior’ fights world hunger, one obstacle at a time
  • Parishes need to launch ‘revolution of care’ for the elderly, pope says
  • Broglio: Church teaching obligates the faithful to support pastoral care of migrants

Search

Membership

Catholic Media Assocation

Maryland-Delaware-DC Press Association

The Associated Church Press

© 2025 CATHOLIC REVIEW MEDIA, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

en Englishes Spanish
en en