Sunday, May 17, marks the 60th World Day of Social Communications. As we prepare to celebrate this occasion, for us women religious and communicators at the service of the mission, the message of Pope Leo XIV resonates with particular urgency: in a world increasingly mediated by algorithms, it is essential to remember that the challenge of Artificial Intelligence (AI) “is not technological, but anthropological.”

Beyond Algorithms: The Sacredness of Encounter

For us at the UISG, communication is first and foremost a matter of relationship. The face and the voice of those to whom we speak are sacred: they are not merely biometric data or sound frequencies that can be reduced to statistical calculations. They are the place of presence, the reflection of our unique identity and of our likeness to the Creator.

As Pope Leo XIV emphasizes: “Our faces and voices are unique, distinctive features of every person; they reveal a person’s own unrepeatable identity and are the defining elements of every encounter with others. The ancients understood this well. To define the human person, the ancient Greeks used the word ‘face’ (prósōpon), because it expresses etymologically what is before one’s gaze, the place of presence and relationship. The Latin term ‘person’ (from per-sonare), on the other hand, evokes the idea of sound: not just any sound, but the unmistakable sound of someone’s voice”.

We women religious know that true empathy cannot be simulated by code; it is born from the embodied encounter with the suffering and joy of another person. And yet, AI confronts us with an unprecedented rupture. Where the human person seeks the effort of understanding, the time for reflection, and authentic otherness, the machine offers simulation, the speed of emotions, and a narcissistic “world of mirrors.”

The Risks of a “Culture of Appearance”

AI, under the pretext of efficiency, erodes our critical thinking and confines our societies within filtering bubbles. As the Holy Father underlines in the Message for the 60th World Day of Social Communications, “there has long been abundant evidence that algorithms designed to maximize engagement on social media — which is profitable for platforms — reward quick emotions and penalize more time-consuming human responses such as the effort required to understand and reflect. By grouping people into bubbles of easy consensus and easy outrage, these algorithms reduce our ability to listen and think critically, and increase social polarization”.

Even more serious is the threat hanging over human creativity. By reducing the masterpieces of human genius to mere “training grounds” for machines, we risk burying the talents we have received. Renouncing the creative process therefore means “hiding our faces and silencing our voices”.

The Three Pillars for a Clear-Sighted and Courageous Alliance

Faced with the challenges posed by Artificial Intelligence, Pope Leo XIV does not call us to withdrawal, but rather to a clear-sighted and courageous Alliance, founded on three pillars that we are called to embody in our ministries: Responsibility, Cooperation, and Education.

First of all, we must demand full transparency of algorithms and regulations that protect human dignity. Platforms can no longer be satisfied with maximizing profits at the expense of the common good. “No one– the Holy Father emphasizes - can elude personal responsibility for the future we are building”.

The challenge of AI governance cuts across every field. It requires dialogue among theologians, technologists, artists, and legislators: “we are all called upon to cooperate”. And the Church, with her integral vision of the human person, has a fundamental role to play in this shared endeavor.

Finally, there is education. And perhaps it is precisely here that our mission is most crucial. We must promote digital literacy throughout every stage of life. From the young people in our schools to the elderly and the marginalized whom we accompany, everyone must learn to discern truth from simulation and to safeguard their “freedom of spirit.”

Faces and voices to speak for people again

Our goal, as communicators of the UISG, is to remain vigilant so that AI never becomes an all-knowing “oracle” that atrophies our capacity for discernment. “We need – Pope Leo XIV concludes - faces and voices to speak for people again. We need to cherish the gift of communication as the deepest truth of humanity, to which all technological innovation should also be oriented”.

On this 60th World Day of Social Communications, let us commit ourselves to preserving the gift of human communication as the most vibrant witness to our shared humanity. Let us not allow the “hidden architects” of our emotions to manipulate our hearts, but instead remain firmly rooted in the truth of authentic relationship.

UISG Communications Office