By Bernardo M. Villegas
(Part 1)
Pope Leo XIV’s first social encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas (Magnificent Humanity), on safeguarding the human person in the time of artificial intelligence, has met the highest expectations about delivering to all men and women of goodwill principles for reflection, criteria for judgment, and guidelines for action concerning the most revolutionary technology introduced for human consumption at the dawn of the 21st century.
It has one central message: Artificial intelligence and technological progress of any kind must always serve the human person, never replace or dominate humanity. As he promised on the day of his election, he echoed through this encyclical the landmark Rerum Novarum of Pope Leo XIII who addressed in the first social encyclical ever the social problems that resulted from the First Industrial Revolution (1790 to 1830).
As in all social encyclicals over the last 145 years, the most fundamental principle stressed is that every human being possesses an inherent dignity because each person is created in the image of God. Human worth is not measured on the basis of intelligence, productivity, efficiency, wealth, beauty, or technological enhancement. Technology should therefore be assessed on whether or not it helps human beings flourish, especially the weakest and the most vulnerable.
Among the most vulnerable of human beings are children and the youth. The first environment in which children and the youth must be protected from abuse and maltreatment is the family. The advent of AI is likely to bring profound changes to child rearing practices. Like television, the internet, and smartphones before it, AI can be both a powerful aid and a source of concern. Its effects will depend greatly on how parents use it to help their children attain their integral human development — the ultimate measure of the common good.
There are some obvious advantages to AI in the upbringing of children. Parents may rely on AI as a “co-parent” by giving quick answers to children’s questions; suggesting age-appropriate educational activities; monitoring development milestones (as height, weight, etc.); translating languages and helping with homework; and providing reminders about vaccinations, school activities, and health checkups. For busy parents, having help in some of these repetitive tasks may reduce stress and increase access to expert advice.
There is a very important caveat, however. Parents may delegate too much emotional and educational engagement to AI systems. Children develop empathy, trust, and emotional security through interpersonal, human relationships, especially with their loved ones. If AI companions replace storytelling, conversations, or playtime, children may receive less of the warmth and responsiveness that only human caregivers, especially parents and siblings, can provide.
Developmental psychologists emphasize that “serve-and-return” interactions — when adults respond to a child’s expressions and questions — are crucial for healthy brain development.
One distinct advantage of AI in these days of mass education (especially in our over-crowded public schools) is the possibility of greater personalization in the educational process. AI can tailor learning to each child’s pace and interests. Some of the possible benefits include: a.) identifying learning difficulties early; b.) offering customized exercises; c.) helping children with disabilities through adaptive technologies; and, d.) supporting multilingual families. All these educational aids may reduce educational inequalities if access becomes widespread and affordable.
Parents — with the cooperation of teachers — will have to teach children how AI works; its limitations and biases; how to verify information; the difference between human judgment and machine-generated advice; and responsible and ethical use of AI. Just as previous generations taught children how to navigate the internet safely, today’s parents will need to raise “AI-literate” children.
A most important part of this task is to protect the children’s privacy because parents will increasingly face difficult questions such as:
a.) How much monitoring is appropriate?
b.) Who owns children’s data?
c.) How long should data be stored?; and,
d.) Can children’s digital profiles affect future opportunities?
It is obvious that protecting children’s privacy will become a central aspect of responsible parenting which may require some modifications in supervision and enforcing discipline. AI tools will be helpful in assisting with monitoring online activities; detecting cyberbullying; tracking locations; and identifying early signs of emotional distress. Here, the virtue of prudence must be exercised by parents. As in previous generations when parents monitored very closely the love life of their teenage children, especially daughters, excessive surveillance can undermine trust and children’s need for autonomy, especially during adolescence.
As AI becomes more capable, qualities that humans cultivate within the intimate ambience of the family become even more important such as love and affection; empathy and compassion; moral reasoning; patience and self-control; faith and spirituality; gratitude and generosity; and the ability to form deep relationships. AI can provide information more efficiently than human beings, but it cannot genuinely love a child or model authentic human virtue.
As regards the more equitable distribution of income and wealth, AI could actually widen inequalities if affluent families gain access to superior educational technologies while poorer families do not. Policy makers in government, business, and civil society must do their part in ensuring equitable access to opportunities and establish safeguards, especially for children’s rights.
The challenge for parents is not whether to use AI, but how to use it wisely. The appropriate dictum is “Use AI to augment parenting, not replace it.” AI can help parents become more informed, organized, and effective. Yet the fundamental basis of child rearing — loving, guiding, disciplining, encouraging, inspiring, transmitting values — remain deeply human responsibilities. During these days when in many countries, especially those that are considered “developed,” families are disintegrating through rampant divorce, single parenthood, and same-sex unions, resulting in mentally and psychologically challenged youth, the age of AI may actually remind us of what children have always needed most: attentive adults in long-term relationships who know them personally, care for them unconditionally, and help them grow into responsible and compassionate human beings.
Pope Leo XIV addresses these challenges to today’s families living in the digital age in Magnificent Humanity, in a section of the papal document entitled “An educational alliance for the digital age.”
In the Philippine scene, it is unfortunate that the recent movie about the first President of the Philippine Commonwealth (1935-1946), Manuel L. Quezon, portrayed him — accurately or not — as an amoral leader who could not have cared less about the truth. It is evident that few things have changed in the Philippine Senate — as we witness the sickening circus that is going on among the so-called esteemed gentlemen (and ladies) of the Senate. The words of Pope Leo XIV could not be more appropriate to describe Philippine politics today: “In era when truth is often distorted in order to serve particular interests and communication strategies, the field of education assumes decisive importance. Yet rapid technological transformations reveal just how unprepared we are on the educational level. The pervasiveness of digital media fosters a culture of immediacy and hyper-stimulation, which gives rise to fatigue, boredom, and apathy concerning the effort required for seeing the truth.”
(To be continued.)
Bernardo M. Villegas has a Ph.D. in Economics from Harvard, is professor emeritus at the University of Asia and the Pacific, and a visiting professor at the IESE Business School in Barcelona, Spain. He was a member of the 1986 Constitutional Commission.
bernardo.villegas@uap.asia
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