“Be still and know that I am God! I am exalted among the nations, exalted on the earth.” —Psalm 46:11
The average Catholic spends 3 hours a day on technology. In an age of instant answers and personalized content, the most impactful type of technology today—artificial intelligence—is shaping how we pray, what we learn, and who we listen to. How much of the hours we spend online and on our devices are truly nourishing our soul?
This article was reproduced from the first of two keynote speeches delivered at the CFC Veritas Forum last June 18, 2025, at SPACE at One Ayala, Makati City. As Catholics, the Forum’s theme of “The Ethical Use of AI and Social Media” emphasizes our CFC community’s stance that technology and theology should be intertwined in the mission of evangelization.
The first keynote is a primer on AI from the perspective of technology, delivered by Francisco “Cocoy” Claravall, the Vice President of the Globe Group. With 22 years of leadership in cross-functional teams in product development, cloud computing, cybersecurity, & enterprise sales, Bro. Cocoy has not only positioned Globe as a leader in ICT innovation. As a CFC member and digital evangelizer, he has also witnessed how AI can deepen or distract us from our faith—and sought to offer sound advice.
Tools that shape the soul
Bro. Cocoy began his session by considering the image of a rosary in one hand, and a smartphone in the other. The rosary invites silence and contemplation, while the smartphone is a source of constant noise and stimulation. Given the many ways that current AI technology can be used for evangelical work, he then reminded how AI reflects the hand that holds it, and the heart that guides it.
The landscape of AI tech, which today’s social media practitioners should be aware of, included learning language models or LLMs, AI workflows, and AI agents. Bro. Cocoy detailed many ways how this tech has supported—and influenced our spiritual and digital lives.
AI used for writing, creating, and editing answers
Today’s AI is capable of providing answers about our catechism, summarizing the lives of saints, and even listing out the different Church celebrations and feast days. However, AI is also capable of parading false information as fact: an occurrence called “AI hallucinations”.
As evangelizers, we’re encouraged to use AI not as the final authority to the truth, but a starting point to spark ideas. We must verify the sources used to generate our content and use it ethically in our digital activities. In our own parishes, AI can further automate administrative tasks such as community bulletins and announcements. In every use, Bro. Cocoy encouraged closing with a prayer.
AI used for creative arts
Tools like Midjourney and Sora have allowed high quality visuals to be more accessible than ever, for uses such as prayer cards, posters, and cartoons. It can also help digital users create engaging faith content, such as short powerful videos that explain Scripture and Catholic teachings.
However, people have started using similar technology to create virtual “saint portraits” of themselves, reducing holiness to mere visual imagery.
Ever since the advent of deepfakes, digital content creators have been encouraged to explicitly indicate if their images, videos, and audio are AI-generated. And as Catholics, we’re invited to uphold integrity and discernment when using AI as a source of visual creativity.
AI used in social media
Bro. Cocoy noted how the business model of social media centers around advertisers. Social media platforms observe what users interact with, and through its algorithms and interfaces wired to satisfy our dopamine levels, are able to present similar content and advertisements to keep their users engaged with the app or platform.
The primary goal of these algorithms is not to encourage holiness, but to gain users’ full attention. And because algorithms cannot yet be held accountable, social media often becomes a source of misunderstanding and amplified conflict—especially within organizations.
It is counterproductive for today’s content creators to strive to escape the algorithm. It still can, however, prove helpful when it eventually directs users to the accounts of fellow faithful who strive to point their audiences toward the faith.
As Catholic users, we must lead such technology rather than allow it to lead us. We’re encouraged to follow or subscribe to content that spreads the Gospel, without letting such scrolling overpower our personal reflection and prayer time.
AI that mimics the human voice
Voice cloning can be used to make Catholic content more accessible to the visually impaired. Bro. Cocoy gave the suggestion of multilingual Masses, where the natural human tone achieved by AI can be used to evangelize even to the blind.
He warned, however, against voice cloning being used to mimic Church authorities, as demonstrated in spam calls or impersonation scams. Technology can be a gift when used ethically—but never in place of real relationships, real trust, and real authority.
AI tools for prayer
Bro. Cocoy explained how walking or doing daily activities while listening to a voice on a prayer app—say, a priest reciting their homily—is very different from having conversations with a priest face-to-face. Faith matures when nourished by encounters with people who personally know your heart and can challenge the faithful to grow spiritually. And while AI can augment prayer life, they cannot replace spiritual direction and sacraments.
Digital devotion can only be authentic when used wisely. Bro Cocoy suggested how AI can be used to enrich Bible study, as well as to help the faithful follow the Church’s liturgical calendar.
On another hand, he also warned, many apps and platforms, including those used for prayer and devotionals, remain capable of selling user data for marketing purposes.
AI’s red and green flags
AI is not inherently good nor bad. However, AI misuse has truly become pervasive in the spiritual lives of Catholics around the world. AI-generated photos, or deepfakes, have surfaced to malign church authorities and leaders. And with recently developed chatbots having capabilities to listen and encourage, offer spiritual advice, and even pray with their users, it is now being used to automate one’s examination of conscience, before going to confession to the priest.
Instead, we are invited to view AI-generated content through a Catholic lens. We must not use technology to outsource our sacred moments of encounter with Christ, especially through the sacrament of reconciliation. In the face of misinformation, we must verify claims about our church leaders with the EWTN, Vatican News, or our own diocesan offices.
No chatbot nor software can replace the body of Christ, nor the authentic human connections that arise from our encounters with the Church.
The challenge to Catholics
AI is transforming the world, but we Catholics are called to transform AI right back to Christ. Bro. Cocoy gave final tips on how AI can support our evangelization efforts, as well as encourage our spiritual growth:
- Use it wisely. AI is here to stay, thus we must use it with thoughtful consideration of human dignity.
- Be vigilant. Fact-check everything that AI generates, ensuring that our use continues to align with Catholic values.
- Maintain community. No chatbot can replace human connection. Relationships sharpen relationships, and as Proverbs 27:17 goes: “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”
Couples for Christ commits to using technology to draw people closer to the beauty of God, through prayer, sacraments, and authentic community. Let’s continue to use AI virtuously, ensuring it leads us back to Christ—who is our source of Truth.
Fix our eyes on you, Lord, the unshakeable truth behind every algorithm. Mary, Seat of Wisdom, pray for us.
Article by Bianca Angeli Arellano. Written without the help of AI.