By Edoardo Giribaldi
We must not fall into the temptation of “humanizing” technology, nor of “mechanizing” the human being.
That was just one of the insights to emerge over the past few days during a conference in the Vatican entitled “AI and Medicine: The Challenge of Human Dignity.”
The event, held from the 10th to the 12th November, was organized by the International Federation of Catholic Medical Associations (FIAMC) and the Pontifical Academy for Life (PAV).
After the conference was over, some participants – including Msgr. Renzo Pegoraro, President of the Pontifical Academy, Professor Therese Lysaught, member of the PAV, and Dr. Otmar Kloiber, Secretary General of the World Medical Association – spoke to journalists in the Holy See Press Office.
Religion and AI development
Msgr Renzo Pegoraro highlighted the internationality of the conference, with “contributions from India, Latin America, Europe, and the United States helping us to understand global experiences and challenges.”
Speaking to Vatican News, he warned of the risk of “transforming health and illness into mere numerical data”, stressing that “the patient is a complex lived experience, made up of emotions, fears, and feelings.”
“The ability to personalize treatment remains an irreplaceable medical skill,” said Msgr Pegoraro. He then commented on the Church’s role in guiding the ethical use of new technologies. “It is not a matter of immediately declaring tools like ChatGPT ‘good’ or ‘bad,’ but of understanding how they work, whether they are transparent, non-discriminatory, and free of bias.”
Kloiber: Avoid reducing human interaction with the patient
Dr Otmar Kloiber, Secretary General of the World Medical Association, observed that artificial intelligence is rapidly permeating medicine.
He pointed out its benefits: accelerating diagnoses and therapies, making treatments more precise, and sometimes even more “personal.”
However, he also warned of its dangers: “AI can reduce human interaction with the patient and become a tool for providing low-cost care only to those who cannot afford a doctor. Technology, invading our spaces, can increase stress and create new social inequalities.”
Kloiber added that citizens have a crucial role in defining the direction AI should take. “Conferences like this one, in which visions, opinions, faith and hope are exchanged. are of vital importance for planning and guiding the use of AI in medicine.”
Lysaught: Bringing ethical questions to AI sector leaders
Professor Therese Lysaught highlighted that artificial intelligence represents a significant novelty even for scholars of Catholic bioethics.
“Traditionally,” she explained, “bioethics reacts to developments; today, however, thanks to the work of the PAV and the Pope’s support, we can place these issues at the center of discussion proactively, valuing the positive aspects we’ve seen during these three days of dialogue.”
Lysaught noted the enthusiasm and surprise that positive developments in new technologies inspire.
“For medicine,” she observed, “this approach is fascinating—almost like Star Trek. Reports from places such as India and Catalonia show how these technologies can promote healthcare, offering much hope to those working in the field.”
Lysaught also emphasized the tensions between the tendency to “humanize” technology and, at the same time, to “mechanize” humanity. “Recognizing and discussing these dynamics is essential,” she said. – Vatican News
