By Neta Nwosu
Very Rev. Fr. Mike Umoh, National Director of Communications, Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria has said Magisterium AI is valuable to formators, teachers, students and anyone seeking to deepen their understanding of the Catholic faith. Noting that the Catholic app is still in experimental stage, he described Magisterium AI as an online tool designed to make Catholic insight and Church teaching available to everyone across the world than ever before.
The cleric urged theologians to embrace the new technology in line with the mission of the Church to employ modern technology in the spread of the gospel and truth of Christ’s Church. Fr. Umoh stated this at the 2024 Catholic Theological Association of Nigeria (CATHAN) Conference while he was delivering a paper entitled, “Magisterium AI as modern resource tool for theologians” in Abuja.
He said, “For theologians in Nigeria and everywhere, this is a very important resource tool. We should be concerned about its development and contribute our quota to how it affects and concerns us as a Church and a people in Nigeria.
“But it is also very easy to use and functional tool for all pastors, students for the priesthood, catechists, other pastoral agents and every Christian who is in search of true knowledge of the Catholic Church.”
According to him, Magisterium AI (M.Ai) created by a U.S.- based company, Longbeard, provides a growing dataset of Church documents, making the Church’s teachings (Catholic doctrine, teachings, and Canon law) more accessible.
“This user-friendly App can answer questions on Church teaching, practices, and other topics, explaining complex theological concepts in simple language. M.Ai app can be downloaded for both android devices and iPhone,” he stated.
The National Director further told the Conference participants that Magisterium AI is available in 10 languages, including English, French and Spanish, and currently used in 125 countries.
“The goal is to make this wisdom available to anyone worldwide, regardless of their native language,” he explained.
Fr. Umoh stressed, “Though still in experimental stage, Magisterium AI is helpful to formators, teachers, students and anyone seeking to deepen their understanding of the Catholic faith. While it is a powerful and reliable tool, it should be noted that its responses are not infallible. Thus, human experts are still needed, especially when there is doubt regarding issues that are complex or nuanced.
The cleric classified uses of Magisterium AI into four categories which he subtitled – ‘Al-Integrated Bible Study’; ‘Clears Doubts’; ‘Inspirational Stories’ and ‘Promotes Pious Devotions’.
The social Communications expert explained thus: AI-Integrated Bible Study: The App integrates AI technology into the Catholic Bible, making it easier to read or study the Bible at one’s pace and level of understanding.
Clears Doubts: It aids to clears all questions and concerns on the Catholic faith. Thus, very helpful for priests, catechists, catechumen and all who seek knowledge on the faith. Inspirational stories: The App is a great resource for stories on faith, hope and love.
Promotes Pious Devotions: You can easily access particular devotions tailored to your emotion and spiritual need at a time.
To drive home the Catholic Church’s position on Artificial Intelligence, he recalled an excerpt of Pope Francis’ 2024 World Communication Day message which specifically stipulated that AI can never replace wisdom of human heart.
He said, “In the 2024 World Communication Day message, Pope Francis says: “… wisdom cannot be sought from machines. Although the term “artificial intelligence” has now supplanted the more correct term, “machine learning”, used in scientific literature, the very use of the word “intelligence” can prove misleading. No doubt, machines possess a limitlessly greater capacity than human beings for storing and correlating data, but human beings alone are capable of making sense of that data.” Stressing that the Church has been in the forefront in chatting the way for ethical development and deployment of this technology, coupled with the need to foster a sense of responsibility among various stakeholders and place human dignity and rights above every other thing, Fr. Umoh itemised five specific issues the Catholic Church has addressed in relation to AI.
* The responsibility of AI developers and users to uphold the dignity and rights of all human beings, especially the vulnerable and marginalised, and to prioritise environmental protection and care for our shared home.
* The challenge of ensuring that AI complements human work rather than replacing it. It should create new opportunities, improve working conditions, and support human dignity and integral development.
* The Church stresses that education and formation is crucial in preparing people to engage with AI in a critical and ethical way. There is also the need to develop the human and spiritual values that are essential for a meaningful and fulfilling life.
* There is need for Transparency, Accountability, and Regulation of all AI systems to ensure that they are not used for harmful purposes like war.
* The Church invites all people of good will to collaborate in the ethical and responsible use of AI, and to seek the guidance of the Gospel and the Magisterium in discerning the moral implications of this technology.
He further noted that the Church also encourages dialogue and cooperation among different religious traditions, academic disciplines, and social sectors, to promote a culture of encounter and solidarity in the face of the challenges and opportunities of AI.
