“Korean Symposium on the Culture of Life for Religious"

"The Mission of Religious in the AI ​​Era Is to Help Preserve ‘Humanity"

Association of Korean Major Superiors of Men’s Religious Orders Hosts Symposium on “The AI ​​Era and Human Life”. Article from the Korean Catholic Times.

Speakers answer questions from attendees at the “Symposium on the Culture of Life for Religious,” held on October 9 at the Salesian Provincial House in Seoul. 

On October 9, the Association of Major Superiors of Men’s Religious Orders and Societies of Apostolic Life in Korea held a “Symposium on the Culture of Life for Religious” at the Salesian Provincial House in Singil-dong, Seoul, under the theme “The AI ​​Era and Human Life.”

The symposium was organized to encourage religious—who are called to cultivate a culture of life—to move beyond merely fearing or rejecting new scientific technologies. Instead, the event aimed to foster the wisdom needed to properly discern the possibilities and risks inherent in these technologies while upholding human dignity and the value of life.

Sister Yoon Frederick (Sisters of Charity of Jesus), a researcher in brain science and AI who delivered the third presentation, emphasized, “The mission of religious in the AI ​​era is to help people avoid losing their humanity.” She added, “Rather than fearing AI, we must become ‘guardians of human dignity’ who properly discern and make good use of it.” Sister Yoon stated, "We must become religious who are not led by AI but who awaken wisdom, creativity, and the power of solidarity." To this end, she proposed "prompt engineering"—the skill of transforming thoughts into questions and designing them to suit specific purposes—as the "language of mission" for the future apostolate. She further explained that one must verify and reflect upon the answers provided by AI in order to convey accurate truth.

She went on to emphasize, "The era of religious who merely follow orders has passed," adding, "We must creatively venture toward the peripheries and seek out those outside the church; this is the apostolate of the future." She cited the "emptying of self" demonstrated by St. Francis of Assisi and the "connection" exemplified by Blessed Carlo Acutis as models for this approach.

In the first presentation, Father Baek Jong-ho (Joseph) of the Catholic University of Korea’s Graduate School of Life identified the root of the crisis facing religious—a crisis requiring discernment—in the "technocratic paradigm," where the logic of efficiency and profit dominates every decision. Father Baek pointed out that entrusting decisions to algorithms—decisions for which no one takes responsibility—allows the exclusion of the vulnerable to be masked by a veneer of "neutrality."

He further explained that the "disarming" of AI discussed in the encyclical *Fratelli Tutti* does not mean rejecting technology, but rather preventing technology from dominating humanity. He emphasized, "We must choose the 'Path of Nehemiah'—built together through dialogue, listening, and shared responsibility—rather than the 'Tower of Babel,' which prioritizes profit over people." In his presentation, Father Park Eun-ho (Gregorio), Director of the Catholic Institute of Bioethics, cited the Holy See document *Vetera et Nova* (Old and New) to emphasize that the responsibility for decisions regarding life always rests with humans and can never be delegated to AI.

Father Park attributed issues such as transhumanism, the "accountability gap" in medical AI, and the emotional isolation caused by care robots to "technological solutionism"—the belief that technology can resolve inherent human limitations. He called for a shift from "technological substitution" to "human companionship," stating, "Whether AI operates as a force for good or becomes an instrument of grave injustice depends not on the technology itself, but on our ethical discernment and decisions."

In his congratulatory remarks, Council President Father Baek Nam-il (Joseph) said, "I hope that we Christians can contribute, however modestly, to creating a world where technology does not replace humans, but rather makes us more truly human and serves as a tool for mutual service and love."