SPOTLIGHT 25/11/05 Korean bishop: AI should benefit everyone, not just few

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Bishop Linus Lee Seong-hyo, member of Vatican’s Dicastery for Culture and Education, spoke at 10th Seoul Future Conference

Bishop Linus Lee Seong-hyo speaks during the 10th Seoul Future Conference held in Seoul, South Korea, on Nov. 5. (Photo: Catholic Times of Korea)

By UCA News reporter

Published: November 11, 2025 04:21 AM GMT

Updated: November 11, 2025 04:29 AM GMT

A Catholic bishop attending a conference in South Korea has said that the benefits of Artificial Intelligence (AI) should not benefit only a few but serve as “a common good for all humanity.”

Bishop Linus Lee Seong-hyo, a member of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Culture and Education, made his remarks during the 10th Seoul Future Conference held on Nov. 5 in the national capital, Seoul.

Bishop Lee, who also serves as head of Masan diocese, presented a paper titled “Dignity and Participation of the Socially Vulnerable in the AI Era” at the conference.

Lee warned that not only the economically poor, but all of humanity could become socially vulnerable in the AI era.

“Humans who reshape themselves around machines lose faith in God's existence and no longer feel themselves to be God's creatures,” Lee said, adding that “humanity must cultivate deep spiritual strength and inner resilience.”

The conference featured sessions themed Humanoids Hand in Hand with Humanity: The Intersection of Technology and Emotion, The Intelligence of AI Nations: A New Framework for Technological Society Policy, and The Future Vision of Human-Centered AX.

Ha Jung-woo, senior presidential secretary for AI, Lin Ying-ping, former vice minister of Taiwan's Ministry of Science and Technology, Ogata Tetsuya, president of Japan's AI Robot Association, and science fiction writer Chen Xianlan, among others, presented their papers during the conference.

Lee cited the document Antiqua et Nova (The Old and the New) issued jointly by the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and the Dicastery for Culture and Education to examine the dual nature of AI.

The Vatican document asserts that “the design, implementation, and use of AI systems must always serve humanity and the common good, and how we include the most marginalized and vulnerable is the measure of our humanity,” the prelate said.

“The document predicts that as AI advances, the dignity of the socially vulnerable will be the first to face threats,” he added.

Lee pointed out the risk of AI eval‎uating human beings based on their ability in a data-driven society, and warned about the possibility of it disproportionately favoring the wealthy in healthcare, education, and labor sectors.

He also highlighted the potential of AI functioning as a remarkable opportunity to lower “learning barriers.”

It could function as “a personalized learning tool and enabling early diagnosis and remote care for the elderly and disabled,” Lee said.

The prelate pointed out that the Catholic Church is working to embrace diverse fields with a more integrated, inclusive perspective to support the socially vulnerable in the AI era.

* This is a translated and edited version of a report published by the Catholic Times of Korea on Nov. 6, 2025, and has been republished with permission.