AI must serve, not replace, teacher-student relationship, Vatican says

AI must serve, not replace, teacher-student relationship, Vatican says
By Justin McLellan , Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The use of artificial intelligence in schools must not threaten "the indispensable relationship between teacher and student" that lies at the heart of education, the Vatican said.

"The physical presence of a teacher creates a relational dynamic that AI cannot replicate," the Vatican said in a document presenting guidance on AI development and application.

The document, titled "Antiqua et Nova (ancient and new): Note on the Relationship Between Artificial Intelligence and Human Intelligence," was prepared by the dicasteries for the Doctrine of the Faith and for Culture and Education, approved by Pope Francis and released Jan. 28.

In addition to analyzing the role of AI in interpersonal relationships, law, work, art, health care and warfare, the document offered reflections on the role of AI in educational settings.

If used in a prudent manner, AI can become "a valuable educational resource by enhancing access to education, offering tailored support and providing immediate feedback to students," it said. "These benefits could enhance the learning experience, especially in cases where individualized attention is needed, or educational resources are otherwise scarce."

Still, the dicasteries warned that "extensive use of AI in education could lead to the students' increased reliance on technology, eroding their ability to perform some skills independently and worsening their dependence on screens."

Many AI systems, the document said, "merely provide answers instead of prompting students to arrive at answers themselves or write text for themselves."

Education should encourage people to intelligently face challenges for themselves rather than train young people "to amass information and generate quick responses," it continued.

Citing Pope Francis' message on artificial intelligence for the World Day of Peace 2024, the document said that young people must learn how to discern the data and content produced by AI, and the schools and universities that train them "are challenged to help students and professionals grasp the social and ethical aspects of the development and uses of technology."

The document also acknowledged that AI programs can provide biased or fabricated information "which can lead students to trust inaccurate content" and "undermines the educational process itself." As a guideline, it suggested that the use of AI in educational settings "should always be transparent and never misrepresented."

At a time of such rapid technological developments, Catholic universities "are urged to be present as great laboratories of hope at this crossroads of history," the dicasteries said. By developing a cross-disciplinary approach, they must pursue "ethically sound applications" for AI "that clearly serve the cohesion of our societies and the common good, reaching new frontiers in the dialogue between faith and reason."