Bishop António Bogaio, in Mozambique: “Artificial Intelligence won’t replace man”

“Artificial intelligence, this machine that is out there that seems to do everything, will not replace man,” Bishop Bogaio said at Our Lady of the Rosary Cathedral of Beira Archdiocese. He added, “Let's accept it as an aid, as another technique, but it's not going to replace us.” 

“I think that at this time, as Pope Francis says, we run the risk of seeing machines as the ones that are going to do everything for us. But that's not the case. Human beings are important. The human being is at the center of creation. It's important that we don't lose sight of that,”  the Mozambican member of the Comboni Missionaries of the Heart of Jesus (MCCJ) said during the launch of the May 5-12 Communication Week. He cautioned against the temptation to undermine the place of human beings in the world, saying, “We run the risk of being rich in technology, but poor in humanity, poor in integrity in cultivating the spirit of the heart from within the heart.”

To deal with this danger, Bishop Bogaio emphasized the importance of human integrity in the face of technological advancements. “I really stress on nurturing our integrity as human beings; let's not reject our humanity by saying it's a weak nature; it's not like that. Instead, let's know how to use the technology that we ourselves have developed to help us,” the Mozambican Catholic Bishop said. He reiterated, “Artificial intelligence is not going to replace our day-to-day life, our encounter of love, the being together, the doing of charity. So, we as human beings have to use it well, for our benefit, for our development, but without having to be replaced.”

“Artificial intelligence is a great opportunity for humanity to take a qualitative leap forward, and it must be used for the good of God’s creation,” said the 55-year-old Catholic Church leader, who has been Auxiliary Bishop since his Episcopal Consecration in February 2023. AI, he further said, can be handy and helpful “in this complex society of ours, which is multicultural, pluralistic, multi-religious.” 

“Let us allow ourselves to grow more in our interior, in our spirituality, looking at the vast problems that exist in the world, let us help ourselves with this technology, but let us remember that we are at the center of creation,” Bishop Bogaio said on May 6.

João Vissesse – ACI Africa