Bishop Coll says AI fears reflect concerns over jobs and dignity

The Bishop of Raphoe says that a Papal encyclical on artificial intelligence speaks to a growing public concern about its impact on jobs, society and the very future of human dignity.

Bishop Niall Coll was addressing Magnifica Humanitas: On the Protection of the Human Person in the Age of Artificial Intelligence, published by Pope Leo XIV this week.

The St Johnston native, who was formally installed as Bishop of Raphoe earlier this year, said the document’s publication comes at a time of deepening unease around the rapidly advancing technology.

“Public concern - especially among young white-collar workers - is not simply a problem to be managed; it is a signal that something essential is at stake,” Bishop Coll said.

“People are asking whether their dignity will be respected, whether their work will remain meaningful, whether their environment will be protected and whether they will have a say in shaping the systems that affect their lives.

“Many professionals - once confident that education and expertise would guarantee stability - now face the unsettling possibility that AI systems can replicate or replace core aspects of their work.

“This shift has contributed to a broader climate of distrust, reflected in surveys across the globe showing widespread scepticism about whether AI will truly benefit humanity.”

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He said that technology alone cannot determine the moral direction of AI and that this requires “human judgement, ethical reflection and shared responsibility”.

He noted that data centres in Ireland now account for approximately 22% of national electricity use, compared to 5% in 2015.

In his reflection, Bishop Coll said Pope Leo’s encyclical provides a moral framework for approaching AI, placing human dignity at its centre.

Bishop Coll said: “The debate is not about whether AI should exist. It is about what kind of future it will create.

“If guided by dignity, responsibility and the common good, AI can become a tool for human flourishing. If not, it risks deepening the very problems that fuel today’s distrust.”

The challenge, he said, is to ensure that as AI grows it remains rooted in the values that make “a truly human future possible”.

Bishop Coll said that systems that affect people’s lives must remain accountable to human oversight.

Human responsibility “cannot be outsourced,” he said and added: “People are more likely to accept AI when they know that humans remain responsible for its outcomes, rather than being subject to opaque and unchallengeable systems.”

He said that AI “cannot be allowed to reduce individuals to mere functions within a system or to disposable units of productivity”.

Fear around job displacement is not solely about income but also about people losing their sense of both purpose and identity, he said.

The Pope’s encyclical does not condemn AI outright and recognises that technological innovation can be positive, with the potential to advance healthcare, education and social cooperation.

Bishop Coll said: “The problem is not that AI exists, but that it can develop without sufficient ethical direction.

“Rather than asking whether AI is good or bad, the encyclical invites a deeper question: how is it being shaped, and to what ends? This approach offers an alternative to both uncritical enthusiasm and unbridled fear.”

Bishop Coll said that the distrust reflects a more fundamental concern in terms of who is shaping AI - and in whose interests?

He outlined that concerns about job security, social inequality and environmental sustainability only serve to deepen the issue and noted that many feel excluded when technological development appears to be driven “primarily by corporate priorities”.

Pope Leo has called for shared governance of AI, noting that AI development is often dominated by a small number of corporations.

He urged that governance must be transparent, inclusive and oriented towards a common good rather than private gain.

Bishop Coll said: “Technologies that shape the future of society should not be controlled by a narrow set of interests. Instead, their development and use should involve broader participation, including governments, communities and civil society.

“This principle speaks directly to the widespread feeling of exclusion that fuels distrust. If people are to trust AI, they must have a voice in shaping it.”