Philippines: National Catholic Social Communications Convention to explore AI's role in evangelization

In line with Pope Francis's message on his 58th World Day of Social Communications, this year's National Catholic Social Communications Convention (NCSCC) will focus on the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on church communication.

Scheduled for August 5–8 in Banay-Banay, Lipa, Philippines, the convention aims to address significant issues, challenges, and opportunities AI presents to the church's communication landscape.

Themed “AI: Authentic Influencers for an Empowered Church,” the NCSCC will emphasize the importance of human wisdom and authenticity in a technologically advanced world.

It calls on participants to embrace their true selves in God, while exploring how AI can revolutionize the ways Catholic media shares the gospel and connects with communities.

A key question for the convention will be: “Is AI an essential tool for evangelization?” This topic will be explored in-depth during the event.

The NCSCC, hosted by the CBCP-ECSC, was initiated by Bishop Mylo Hubert Claudio Vergara in 2015. Originally named the National Catholic Media Conventions, it was renamed to better align with the Vatican's Dicastery of Social Communications.

One of the highlights of the event will be a presentation by Dr. Peter Monthienvichienchai, a Thai media professional and the new secretary general of SIGNIS.

His talk, “Artificial Intelligence in Evangelization: Meeting Church Challenges Head-on,” will address how AI can meet the church's communication challenges.

The convention is expected to attract participants from various sectors of Catholic media in the Philippines, including radio, television, press, film, audio-visual, theater, and media education.

This diverse attendance underscores the event's significance as a platform for discussing the future of church communications in the AI era.