This week, the White House unveiled a sweeping new policy initiative titled Winning the AI Race: America’s AI Action Plan, a comprehensive blueprint designed to establish the United States as a global leader in artificial intelligence (AI). The plan emphasizes promoting “human flourishing, economic competitiveness, and national security” while accelerating innovation and streamlining development.
Yet as this bold vision unfolds, Catholic leaders across the country are urging caution, discernment, and moral clarity—reminding the nation that technological advancement must never come at the expense of human dignity.
The federal AI action plan includes over 90 policy proposals. These range from increasing data center capacity and facilitating tech exchange with global allies to reducing bureaucratic obstacles in AI development. Notably, it also outlines updated federal procurement rules that would prioritize partnerships with AI developers committed to neutrality—avoiding ideological bias in large language models.
While these efforts may advance national interests, Catholic thinkers and leaders are asking a deeper question: not just can we do it, but should we? And if so, how?
Dr. Charles Camosy, professor of moral theology and bioethics at The Catholic University of America, addressed the issue this week in an interview with EWTN News. He urged society to be “extremely, extremely careful” in its embrace of AI, warning that unless properly guided by moral principles, this technology could distort our understanding of work, identity, and the human person.
“We have to create a culture that shapes AI to serve human beings,” Camosy said, “not the other way around.”
This concern echoes the growing voice of the Church on the subject. In remarks made this summer, Pope Leo XIV emphasized that while AI may hold great promise for the common good, it must never erode “the identity and dignity of the human person and his or her fundamental freedoms.” AI, he added, must remain “a tool for the good of human beings, not to diminish them, not to replace them.”
Pope Leo’s statements continue a tradition rooted in the social teachings of Pope Leo XIII, who guided the Church through the industrial revolution and the upheavals it brought to labor and society. As Camosy notes, Leo XIV sees himself in a parallel moment of transformation: “We’re undergoing a similar technological change that is going to totally transform the culture. How do we respond?”
For Catholic professionals, the Church’s response is both a challenge and a mandate. In an age when AI could radically alter the workplace, Camosy warns that losing touch with the value of work could harm the human spirit. “Work,” he said, “is how we mirror God’s creative power and reflect His image. It’s an integral part of who we are.”
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops echoed this concern in a recent statement to Congress, underscoring the moral obligation to develop AI that supports—not supplants—human agency and moral reasoning. “This technology should supplement what human beings do,” the bishops said, “not replace them or their moral judgments.”
AI chatbots, for example, can blur the line between the real and the artificial, raising questions about truth, trust, and the soul. “People often can’t tell the difference when they’re speaking to a bot,” Camosy warned. “That’s extremely dangerous. We are flesh and blood, made in the image and likeness of God. No chatbot can replicate that.”
As AI continues to expand its reach across industries and disciplines, Catholic professionals are called to be vigilant. They must be leaders who not only understand these emerging technologies, but who also uphold a moral vision rooted in truth, justice, and human dignity.
“Thank God we have the Holy Father we do,” Camosy reflected. “The Catholic Church may be the sole countercultural voice speaking out against some of these trends.”
As stewards of influence in civil society, Catholic professionals are uniquely positioned to help shape the future of AI—not by retreating from innovation, but by leading it with courage, wisdom, and fidelity to the Gospel.
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