U.S. Catholic Bishops Create an AI Task Force Focused on Human Dignity

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has created a task force on artificial intelligence, placing questions about human dignity, work and public oversight at the center of its response to the technology. The group is chaired by Bishop Oscar Cantú of San Jose, California, and follows meetings with technology firms, AI specialists and members of Congress.

The Bishops’ Task Force on Preserving Human Dignity in the Age of Artificial Intelligence was established September 16 by the conference’s Administrative Committee. Its stated remit is broad: promoting policies and practices that protect human dignity, religious liberty, democratic institutions, workers, families and vulnerable populations.

That framing gives the effort a wider target than technical safety alone. Before forming the task force, the committee met with tech-company representatives and AI specialists to discuss human oversight, preventing misuse and keeping AI human-centered. At the end of its meeting, more than a dozen bishops went to Capitol Hill to urge lawmakers to adopt meaningful AI safety guardrails and legislation protecting children online.

We all have a voice to bring to the public square.

Bishop Oscar Cantú, speaking to OSV News

An education effort alongside policy advocacy

Cantú said the task force intends to help bishops and dioceses build a basic understanding of AI, with experts and formation materials available to them. He also described an outreach goal beyond Church leadership: encouraging Catholics and the wider public to learn about AI and raise concerns with officials, schools, universities and other institutions.

The task force’s stated areas of concern

• AI policies and practices affecting human dignity, families, workers and vulnerable populations.
• Human oversight and safeguards against misuse by AI systems.
• Public understanding of AI and participation in decisions about its use.

Work is the sharpest test

In an interview after the announcement, Cantú singled out labor as his largest concern. He pointed to layoffs and potential displacement affecting occupations including lawyers and coders, while asking what happens to the dignity attached to work if automation changes people’s roles.

Cantú also acknowledged a less dire possibility: he said he had heard from a credible source that the data does not indicate a massive labor-force disruption, even though technological shifts can bring both job losses and new positions. The task force therefore begins with a concern rather than a settled forecast about AI’s economic effects.

A mandate before a program

The conference has named Cantú as chair, but had not determined the task force’s membership when it issued its statement. Its eventual influence will depend on how it turns a values-based mandate into practical education, engagement with technology companies and specific policy positions.