AI without strong ethical safeguards could sideline workers, Church warns

Artificial intelligence risks sidelining workers and deepening social inequalities unless its rapid adoption is guided by strong ethical standards that put people at the centre, the Archdiocese of Malta has warned. 

In a position paper entitled Ethical Adoption of AI: the position of the Archdiocese of Malta, the Church calls on policymakers to ensure that AI-driven change does not replace people or leave vulnerable communities behind, arguing that “AI will revolutionise virtually all aspects of labour and the economy”. 

The document, authored by Fr Jean Gové, focuses on the impact of AI on education, the economy and culture, and urges the state to introduce incentives for businesses to retrain and redeploy employees affected by automation. 

“While commending the state for its efforts so far, we call for stronger ethical standards and literacy efforts to safeguard society since ethics will ultimately ensure that AI is a tool we can trust,” Fr Gové said. 

The Archdiocese stresses that decision-making in areas that directly affect human lives must always remain in human hands, warning against an overreliance on digital systems. 

“Decision-making must always be left to the human person,” the paper states, adding that non-digital access to essential services must be preserved to protect those at risk of exclusion. 

While acknowledging AI’s potential to improve efficiency, safety and innovation, the Church highlights the “intrinsic value of human labour” and the “irreplaceable nature of human relationships”, particularly in healthcare, education and pastoral work. 

Risks in education, promise for culture 

The position paper notes that AI’s ability to enhance creativity and problem-solving depends entirely on the intentions of those who use it, warning that misuse could “diminish our agency and responsibility and weaken the relational and ethical dimensions of human life”. 

In education, it calls for vigilance, cautioning against the use of AI systems to “exploit students via profiling” and insisting that human understanding, moral discernment and care must remain central to formation. 

At the same time, the Archdiocese recognises the potential of AI to support Malta’s cultural identity, including through tools that promote the Maltese language and heritage.

Alongside its policy recommendations, the Archdiocese said it is strengthening its own capacity for the digital era by rolling out AI literacy and ethics training for priests, pastoral workers, educators, social workers and healthcare professionals. 

It has already delivered AI literacy and critical skills training to more than 1,500 educators across Church, independent and state schools, and is collaborating with the Malta Digital Innovation Authority on literacy sessions for parents and vulnerable groups. 

Technology is a tool; the human person is the subject.

Speaking at the launch, Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Galea Curmi said society must never lose sight of the human dimension of technological change. 

“Technology is a tool; the human person is the subject,” he said, urging policymakers and the public to ensure AI serves human dignity and the common good. 

The Archdiocese said it is ready to collaborate with government, businesses, educators and civil society to ensure that the benefits of AI, including increased productivity, are shared fairly and remain under human oversight. 

The full position paper is available at church.mt.