Charles Camosy: I imagine you were waiting for the Holy Father\u2019s new encyclical with a particular level of anticipation! Any sort of broad reactions now that it has been released and you\u2019ve had some time to sit with it?<\/p>\n
Bishop Oscar Cant\u00fa: As the pastor of a local church, I had been interested in the AI debate from a distance, though I was not able to invest much time or energy in learning what the issues are with AI. \u201cMagnifica Humanitas<\/a>\u201d gave me, and indeed all of us, the impetus to dive deeply into the issue, especially since the Holy Father had presented the issues not only from a Christian perspective, but indeed from a broadly human perspective.<\/p>\n I was aware that dialogues were taking place between technologists and the Church. I had not really had the opportunity to participate in those dialogues until now. I did feel, however, a pastoral responsibility to convene people \u2014 particularly in the wake of \u201cMagnifica Humanitas\u201d \u2014 as the Church in Silicon Valley. I knew others would be looking to us to take the lead. <\/p>\n When I was in Rome last fall, I asked a trusted friend who\u2019s been involved in the AI dialogues what the posture of the Church in Silicon Valley ought to be. He responded that the Church has the power to convene. We are experts in humanity, and thus we bring a most important perspective: that of the good of humanity, the true meaning of humanity. We can learn from the technologists about the machines they are creating. But it is important that we frame the conversation in human dignity \u2014 the dignity of every human person!<\/p>\n St. John Paul taught us many years ago<\/a> that faith and reason are like two wings on which we rise to contemplate the truth. My hope is that we keep both wings working together and that human dignity remains at the very center of all innovation.<\/p>\n Camosy: Your diocese and the California Conference of Catholic Bishops recently co-hosted an event focused on the encyclical. What sort of takeaways do you have from that day?<\/p>\n Bishop Cant\u00fa: While I have now been in San Jose for some eight years, I really don\u2019t have strong connections to the tech world. I\u2019ve been busy building up the local ecclesial community in various facets. So, I needed to rely on others with deep connections to key persons in the tech\/AI world. I was delighted to meet them and begin some working relationships with them. My contribution has been that of a pastor with a theological background. I have no background in tech, certainly not in AI. So, I\u2019ve been fascinated by listening to them, learning from their experiences, their excitement, their concerns.<\/p>\n Also invited to the conference were several medical professionals. They were very optimistic about the prospects of AI in helping to diagnose patients and providing breakthroughs in their field. That, to me, is a glimpse of the good the encyclical holds out \u2014 technology placed at the service of the suffering, and of the healing work medical professionals offer suffering humanity.<\/p>\n Some of the practical elements of putting the conference together were fun, exciting and, of course, stressful. We put it together essentially in about two-and-a-half weeks. There were five of us on the committee, meeting nearly every other day. There was a strong bond formed among us in working together so closely and intently. Getting 350 people in attendance at the public segment of the conference truly spoke to the power of the moment, the pressure built up anticipation of the encyclical and the desire to hear the Vatican\u2019s contribution to the AI debate.<\/p>\n We had in attendance curious tech people, sitting in the crowd, listening and observing; Church personnel completely new to the AI debate, seeking to learn what the issues are; those in the medical field, wanting to understand some of the downsides to AI and its rapid development; and AI developers grateful for the voice of the Church urging caution in the development and usage of AI, noting many of its possible unintended consequences. <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/20260710T1815-CANTU-CAMOSY-QA-1823309-844x1024.jpg\")
Bishop Oscar Cant\u00fa of San Jose, Calif., attends a June 6, 2026, gathering titled \u201cConversation on Human Dignity, Ethics, and AI,\u201d at Our Lady of Peace Church and Shrine in Santa Clara, Calif. (OSV News photo\/Oliver Tapio, courtesy Diocese of San Jos\u00e9)<\/p>\n