The Administrative Committee of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops unanimously approved on September 16 the creation of a working group on artificial intelligence, chaired by the Bishop of San José, California, Oscar Cantú. The decision was made on the same day that the bishops received representatives from technology companies and sector specialists at the conference headquarters, and subsequently more than a dozen of them traveled to the Capitol to ask legislators for safety limits on artificial intelligence.
The body is called Bishops’ Task Force on Preserving Human Dignity in the Age of Artificial Intelligence, which can be translated as “Bishops’ Working Group to Preserve Human Dignity in the Age of Artificial Intelligence.” Cantú himself confirmed that its creation was approved unanimously.
The official note from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops specifies that it has not yet been determined who will join the group alongside Cantú. It does define its scope of action: to promote policies and practices that protect human dignity, religious freedom, democratic institutions, workers, families, and vulnerable populations.
From Technology Companies to the Capitol
The meeting with the technology sector was held at the headquarters of the episcopal conference. The Administrative Committee is led by the Archbishop of Oklahoma City, Paul S. Coakley, president of the USCCB.
The conference has not made public the list of companies or attending representatives. According to its statement, the dialogue addressed how to keep any artificial intelligence system “at the service of humanity” and the urgent need to confront the real dangers posed by this technology.
The bishops hope that these conversations will help determine how the Church can contribute to the moral foundation of AI models, what measures companies can adopt to prevent improper uses of their products, and how to ensure human oversight of the technology.
After the meeting, more than a dozen bishops traveled to the Capitol to meet with members of Congress. The USCCB identifies two objectives: to demand “meaningful safety guarantees” for artificial intelligence and to support legislation aimed at protecting minors online. The conference has not publicly specified which specific bills it supported or with which congressmen it held the meetings.
“Time is of the Essence”
Cantú explained the meaning of the decision in terms of urgency. When speaking about artificial intelligence initiatives already emerging in parishes and dioceses, he argued that it is not necessary to try to control them from above because “time is of the essence.”
The bishop pointed out that the issue requires awareness and meaningful dialogue at all levels. The Church’s concern, he explained, encompasses the consequences of artificial intelligence on the person, human dignity, the family, society, and, in particular, the most vulnerable.
The initial mandate of the new group responds to that breadth: it is not limited to calling for regulation, but aims to intervene in the policies and practices that affect the use of this technology.
From Magnifica humanitas to the American Initiative
The doctrinal framework invoked by the conference is Magnifica humanitas, the first encyclical of Leo XIV, published in May and dedicated to the anthropological and social challenges of the technological revolution.
The USCCB itself presents its initiative as a response to the Pope’s call to “build forms of cooperation” and cultivate a culture of shared responsibility. The encyclical warns, among other things, that artificial intelligence tends to amplify the power of those who already have economic resources, specialized knowledge, and access to data.
Read also: Encyclical Letter: MAGNIFICA HUMANITAS by Leo XIV
The American conference thus creates a specific structure to translate that magisterium into its own action, four months after Leo XIV established an interdicasterial commission in the Vatican dedicated to the study, coordination, and oversight of issues related to artificial intelligence within the Holy See.
Read also: Leo XIV Creates a Vatican Commission on Artificial Intelligence
There is a difference in method worth noting. The Vatican commission works primarily on internal coordination within the Holy See. The American group incorporates from its inception a public and political dimension: on the same day of its creation, the bishops engaged in dialogue with industry representatives and brought their request for guarantees for artificial intelligence to Congress.
It is a more exposed position and also more useful, because the United States concentrates a large part of the companies developing this technology and federal decisions will condition the limits under which they operate.
Engaging with Industry and Requesting Limits from Congress
That position carries a risk, and the bishops assume it by maintaining simultaneous conversations with industry and with legislators. Sitting with those who develop the systems and then asking Congress for guarantees about their operation requires preserving independence between both spheres.
The USCCB has explained what it intends to obtain from dialogue with companies—protection against misuse, human oversight, and person-centered technology—but has not identified which companies participated nor detailed what role sector representatives will be able to play in the subsequent work of the new body.
The conference only indicates that it will promote policies and practices to protect human dignity, religious freedom, democratic institutions, workers, families, and vulnerable persons.