Church Urged to Reclaim Human Vision Amid Youth Reliance on AI

Catholic thinkers and pastoral leaders are urging the Church to speak more clearly and confidently about its understanding of the human person as concerns grow over young people turning to artificial intelligence for emotional support. Recent reporting in England and Wales has shown that a significant number of teenagers affected by violence are relying on AI companions due to long waiting lists for counseling and limited access to mental health care. Catholic experts say this trend exposes a deeper crisis of human connection rather than a purely technological problem. They argue that while digital tools may offer temporary relief, they cannot replace embodied relationships rooted in empathy, presence, and shared experience. For the Church, the moment is seen as an opportunity to re articulate a vision of humanity that affirms dignity, relationality, and hope in the midst of social fragmentation and emotional isolation.

Speaking from the perspective of Catholic psychotherapy, Edwin Fawcett has warned that young people are absorbing support from systems that lack a coherent anthropology. He has called for more accessible resources that present what he describes as the beautiful truth of the Church’s understanding of the human person, one grounded in integration of body, mind, and spirit. Fawcett cautions against assuming that media output alone can counter the appeal of AI companionship, suggesting that structural weaknesses within Church life must also be addressed. He points to the need for stronger formation in seminaries, more robust marriage preparation, and greater accountability within leadership as part of a wider cultural renewal. In his view, responsibility for accompanying young people cannot be delegated solely to institutions but must also be embraced personally by families, parishes, and individuals willing to invest time and care in real relationships.

Bioethicists and Church educators have echoed these concerns, emphasizing that technological discernment must be paired with concrete pastoral engagement. Father Michael Baggot of the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum has argued that Catholic anthropology can integrate insights from contemporary psychology without losing its moral depth. He stresses that young people need mentors who embody faith in daily life and invite them into activities that cultivate joy, resilience, and community, experiences that no artificial system can replicate. The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales has also acknowledged the practical benefits AI may offer in areas such as health care, while firmly maintaining that it can never substitute for human relationships or a living relationship with God. For Church leaders, the rise of AI companionship underscores an urgent pastoral task: to rebuild spaces where young people feel seen, heard, and supported within communities that foster growth, virtue, and belonging.