The Bishop of Kenya’s Catholic Diocese of Nakuru has underscored the importance of ethical use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology as the Church prepares to mark 60th World Communications Day (WCD).
In a message ahead of the annual celebration, Bishop Cleophas Oseso Tuka draws attention to the growing influence of AI, noting that the May 17 event offers an opportunity for the people of God to reflect on whether the emerging technology is being applied in ways that benefit humanity.
“Normally, when technology surpasses human life, it can harm humanity,” the Kenyan Catholic Church leader says in the video message that his Episcopal See’s Diocesan Radio Amani published on April 7.
Bishop Oseso emphasizes that although innovations like AI can support development across different sectors of society, they should not take precedence over essential human principles and moral values.
“As new trends and technologies emerge, we must ask whether they are improving our condition or undermining it,” he says, stressing the importance of careful discernment in the use of AI, which he maintains “must not go beyond limits and violate human values, which are more important than anything else.”
He adds, “We pray that as we continue to use digital platforms and AI technology, we recognize its importance and usefulness in many areas, including education and healthcare.”
In his message, the Local Ordinary of the Kenyan Episcopal See also describes communication as “a very important part of human life” and recognizes the contribution of Catholic Church media entities in enhancing access to information and supporting evangelization.
“As the Church, through our media outlets, we continue to foster communication, inform people about what is happening, and share the Good News of our Lord Jesus Christ,” he says in the two minutes video ahead of the global event.
Pope Leo XIV has chosen “Preserving Human Voices and Faces” as the theme for the 60th edition WCD which is scheduled to take place on May 17, the Sunday before Pentecost.
In a communique announcing the theme for the 2026 event the Vatican Dicastery for Communication (DFC) cautions that “Overreliance on AI weakens critical thinking and creative skills, while monopolized control of these systems raises concerns about centralization of power and inequality.”
“We have great opportunities. At the same time, the risks are real,” the DFC said in the 29 September 2025 announcement, emphasizing that “The challenge is to ensure that humanity remains the guiding agent.”
It went on to affirm that “The future of communication must be one where machines serve as tools that connect and facilitate human lives, rather than erode the human voice.”
“It has become thus urgent to introduce Media Literacy in the educational systems, or even Media and Artificial Intelligence Literacy (MAIL). As Catholics we can and should give our contribution, so that people – especially youth – acquire the capacity of critical thinking, and grow in the freedom of the spirit,” the DFC said.
Pope Paul VI established the WCD in 1967 as an annual celebration to reflect on the opportunities and challenges that modern means of social communication accord the Church to communicate the gospel message to all the ends of the earth.
Since then, the Church observes WCD, also known as the World Day of Social Communications, on the Sunday before Pentecost Sunday.
Source: ACI Africa
