(ANS – Los Angeles) – A regional study on Artificial Intelligence (AI) is reshaping how the Salesians of Don Bosco in the Americas perceive their mission in an increasingly digital world. Commissioned by Fr. Hugo Orozco, Regional of Interamérica, and supported by provincial leaders across ten provinces, the initiative was launched to prepare for the 2025 Inter-American Provincial Gathering in Berkeley.
Coordinated by the Youth Ministry Office of the Salesian Province of San Francisco (USA West), the research did not aim merely to analyze technology but to listen—to understand how AI is being encountered, questioned, and lived within Salesian communities, schools, and youth ministries throughout the region.
Listening to the Region
The study gathered the voices of 140 Salesians of Don Bosco and 1,375 lay collaborators from across the Americas—from Mexico to Bolivia, from Ecuador to the Caribbean, and from the United States to Peru. Together, they offered a panoramic view of curiosity, discernment, and deep pastoral concern.
While many participants describe AI as both a useful resource and a source of uncertainty, their reflections reveal one shared conviction: technology must always remain at the service of humanity. It can assist with homilies, translations, catechesis, and administration, yet it must never replace the heart of the Salesian mission—personal presence, listening, and relationship. “AI should help us be more human, not less,” summarized one respondent, echoing the central theme of the study.
Hope and Caution Intertwined
Throughout the region, there is growing enthusiasm for the potential of AI in education, evangelization, and pastoral communication. Salesians see how these tools can free time for mission, simplifying routine tasks and enabling greater focus on the young. At the same time, the study records strong reservations. More than half the respondents fear AI could diminish personal contact, spiritual discernment, or create dependency and superficiality. Others express concern about ethical risks, misinformation, and data misuse. The emerging consensus is that AI is neither to be rejected nor blindly embraced—it must be discerned. AI, they insist, should remain a servant of communion, helping form thoughtful, compassionate, and critically aware human beings.
Formation: The Pastoral Priority
The most consistent recommendation from respondents is the urgent need for formation—technical, ethical, and spiritual. Salesians across the continent emphasize that any serious approach to AI must integrate moral reflection and pastoral discernment. They call for regular formation programs, beginning with initial religious training and continuing throughout their apostolic life. Practical suggestions include short workshops, peer-learning networks, bilingual materials, and local “AI champions” capable of mentoring others.
Such training, they argue, will ensure that educators and pastoral workers remain faithful to Don Bosco’s vision of integral education—one that unites reason, faith, and affection, even in digital contexts.
Encountering the Young in Digital Courtyards
A central insight of the study is the recognition that AI already shapes how young people learn, communicate, and make decisions. Many youth turn to digital tools—even for moral or spiritual guidance—before approaching a mentor. This finding challenges Salesians to renew their presence in what Don Bosco would call today’s “digital courtyards.” The task is not to compete with technology but to guide its use, helping young people develop conscience and critical thinking. Participants stress that while AI can assist with preparation and organization, it can never replace the face-to-face encounter essential to accompaniment, confession, or spiritual direction. The goal is clear: technology should open paths to dialogue, not close hearts to human contact.
Practical and Creative Uses
At present, AI serves mostly practical functions in Salesian ministry—drafting lessons, generating catechetical materials, preparing talks, translating documents, or handling communication tasks. A smaller group is experimenting with more creative applications such as digital storytelling, design, or social media engagement aimed at youth. Looking ahead, many dream of developing a “Salesian Copilot”—a digital platform rooted in the Salesian spirit. It would support prayer, preaching, pastoral planning, and content creation while upholding ethics, authenticity, and privacy. The goal is not to replace pastoral discernment, but to simplify work and strengthen collaboration across the Americas.
Elder Confreres and Accessibility
The study reveals enthusiasm about the possibility of AI helping elder confreres remain engaged and connected. Respondents suggest that simple, user-friendly tools could support communication, prayer, and ongoing learning—provided they complement, never substitute, human presence and fraternity. Proposals include accessible formats with voice dictation, large-type text, and easy tutorials, helping bridge the digital divide within communities and promoting inclusion for all members.
A Mature but Hopeful Community
Demographic data show that over half of the Salesians who participated are aged 51 or older, with an average of 31 years in religious profession. Despite limited technical background, their responses convey openness, curiosity, and pastoral creativity. For this mature community, the challenge is not to master algorithms, but to ensure technology deepens authenticity, presence, and faith. AI becomes valuable only when it supports human encounter and the mission of evangelizing the young.
A Synodal Process in Action
Under the leadership of Fr. Fabián Cárdenas and Luis Chacón from the Province of San Francisco (USA West), the research was a model of synodality—walking, listening, and discerning together across languages and cultures. The final report concludes with a clear direction: AI must become a pastoral ally, helping people pray, think, and love more deeply. The call is not only to use technology wisely but to return to the founding intuition of Don Bosco—to be present, always and everywhere, with the heart of a father, teacher, and friend.
Looking Forward
The research team plans to release a second phase focused on the voices of young people themselves—their hopes, questions, and challenges regarding AI, faith, and vocation. This next step seeks to continue the dialogue begun in this first study: a process of discernment that unites experience, ethics, and spiritual depth. Across the Americas, this call resounds with renewed conviction: every innovation, every new digital tool, is another courtyard in which the Salesian spirit is invited to dwell—accompanying, educating, and evangelizing with wisdom, creativity, and joy.
By JC Montenegro