Artificial intelligence is no longer a distant concept. In classrooms and homes across Thailand, it already shapes how students learn, communicate, and imagine their future.
Recognizing this shift, the Catholic Education Council of Thailand (CBCT) has chosen AI as the central theme of its 2026 annual seminar in Pattaya.
The seminar will be guided by the recent Vatican document Antiqua et Nova: The Relationship Between Artificial Intelligence and Human Intelligence, co-issued earlier this year by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and the Dicastery for Culture and Education.
The document urges the Church and educators to examine AI critically, balancing innovation with human dignity, ethical responsibility, and the primacy of human intelligence.
“The document urges that teachers and students should be equipped to use AI critically, understanding both its potential and its limits,” said Sumitra Phongsathorn, head of the seminar’s organizing committee.
The decision was made at the CBCT Executive Board meeting held online on Sept. 22, where members reflected on the remarkable success of this year’s seminar and looked ahead to new challenges.
Their conversation centered not only on AI’s promise and pitfalls, but also on how Catholic educators should respond.
“Teachers must be formed and empowered to guide young people with wisdom, values, and faith, especially when artificial intelligence is shaping their worldview,” said Fr. Paul Eakarat Hompatum, CBCT Secretary General.
The board agreed that Catholic teachers should be trained to become “influencers” — credible voices who shape young lives with Gospel values, not only in schools but also in their communities and wider society.
In their reflection, the board recalled the Asian Mission Congress held in Chiang Mai in 2006, a landmark gathering of Asian bishops, priests, religious, and lay leaders.
The congress celebrated the mission of “telling the story of Jesus” through dialogue, culture, and witness, but its rich outcomes were not fully translated into action.
Next year’s seminar offers an opportunity to bring that mission vision back to life. By linking the call of the Asian Mission Congress with the insights of Antiqua et Nova, Catholic educators in Thailand hope to renew their role as storytellers of faith in a digital age.
The challenge is clear: in an era where AI algorithms influence what children see, hear, and believe, Catholic teachers must stand as trusted influencers who tell a different story — one that upholds human dignity and promotes the integral development of the human person and society.
