AI, Young People’s Concerns & the Church’s Opportunity

Ask anyone and they’ll tell you how they feel about artificial intelligence. Some think it’s pointless or even dangerous. Others see it as an exciting new tool that will make life easier. Most of us fall somewhere in between. What’s your take?

One thing is certain: AI is reshaping how young people learn, communicate, and think about themselves. While AI brings innovation, it also surfaces deep questions about identity, purpose, and belonging; questions the Church is uniquely positioned to address.

Recent research shows that technology is not simply changing tools; it is changing human formation, especially for adolescents navigating faith, mental health, and meaning.

A study published this year in Acta Psychologica found that emerging technologies significantly influence adolescent well‑being and religious identity, explaining that digital environments shape how youth “construct meaning, relate socially, and engage with spiritual questions.”

And if we’re honest, this isn’t the first time society has faced something like this. The manufacturing revolution changed how people worked. The digital revolution changed how people communicated. Today’s AI revolution is changing how people understand themselves. In every era, people eventually turned back to the Church for grounding and hope.

What AI Is Revealing About Youth Today: Rising Anxiety & Identity Confusion

Young people today face unprecedented levels of anxiety, much of it tied to digital environments. The Acta Psychologica reports that emerging technologies can intensify “identity instability, social comparison, and emotional vulnerability” among adolescents.

Just think about how Facebook affects you. You log on to be uplifted and feel connected, but do you really? Or do you end up comparing your life to the picture-perfect photos of vacations, award-winning grandchildren, family cookouts, posed baby pictures and long-winded #blessed posts?

Now imagine growing up with that from the very beginning. Imagine scrolling a screen as a toddler because it was the easiest way to keep you occupied while your parents got chores done. For many young people, this isn’t new — it’s normal.

With young people saturated in technology and now AI, it can create:

• Fear of being replaced
• Pressure to perform
• Confusion about self-worth
• A sense of invisibility or isolation

These concerns are not abstract. They show up in real life as isolation, difficulty forming health relationships, and in the most tragic cases, violence in our schools. We have a pastoral urgency in front of us, but we can do something about it!

An Unnoticed Hunger for Authentic Presence

Pastoral Psychology, an international publication combining psychological principles with theological insight, published two studies in 2026 showing that AI cannot replicate the human presence young people crave.

• One study notes that while AI can simulate empathy, it lacks the “embodied presence and relational depth essential to pastoral care.”
• Another study concludes that AI “cannot fulfill the human need for spiritual accompaniment,” emphasizing that pastoral identity is rooted in human relationship, not response to an algorithm.

Young people might think they are looking for answers, for something. But our own experiences of hardship tell us they’re really looking for someone.

Historical Parallels: We’ve Been Here Before

If we’re honest with ourselves looking back, we see that every major technological shift has created uncertainty like this:

• The agricultural and manufacturing revolutions reshaped work and community life
• The digital revolution reshaped communication and culture
• Today’s AI revolution is reshaping identity, meaning, and human connection.

In each era, people turned to the Church for stability, truth, and hope. AI is no different. It is surfacing the deepest human questions: Who am I? What is my purpose? What does it mean to be human? Where do I belong? These are not technological questions. They are theological ones.

Pope Leo XIV recognizes this clearly in his 2026 Apostolic Letter, Magnifica Humanitas, where he warns that AI must never “obscure the truth of the human person” or weaken our understanding of human dignity. He reminds us that, in a time of rapid technological change, the Church has a responsibility to safeguard the human heart and to keep Christ at the center of every conversation about innovation.

AI Cannot Offer What the Church Offers

Research is clear and our Church leaders agree: AI can assist us, but it cannot accompany someone. The previously mentioned 2026 pastoral care studies emphasize that AI lacks the “capacity for presence,” “mutual vulnerability,” and “spiritual discernment” that define authentic ministry.

This creates a profound opportunity for the Church to:

• Provide human connection
• Offer spiritual grounding
• Teach authentic identity rooted in Christ
• Create spaces for honest conversation
• Accompany young people through uncertainty

AI is not a threat to the Church. It is an invitation.

The Acta Psychologica review notes that adolescents navigating digital environments show increased openness to “meaning-making frameworks” and “spiritual exploration” when supported by trusted adults.

This means young people are searching and the Church can meet them.

Practical Ways Parishes Can Respond

1. Host Conversations on Faith & Technology

Create opportunities for youth and young adults to ask hard questions about AI, identity, and purpose.

2. Equip Parents & Educators

Offer guidance rooted in Catholic teaching on human dignity and digital ethics.

3. Use AI Responsibly for Ministry Support

AI can help with administrative tasks, but never replace human pastoral care.

4. Strengthen Youth Accompaniment

Prioritize mentorship, small groups, and relational ministry.

5. Teach the Irreplaceable Dignity of the Human Person

Ground young people in the truth that their worth is not algorithmic. It is God‑given.

The Greatest Evangelism Opportunity of Our Time?

AI is reshaping the world, but it cannot reshape the human soul. Young people are searching for hope, truth, and stability. The Church can meet them with courage, clarity, and Christ-centered love.

This technological shift may be one of the greatest evangelization opportunities of our time: a chance to accompany youth, speak to their deepest concerns, and remind them that faith and hope in Christ remain the enduring solution.

Pope Leo XIV says this plainly in Magnifica Humanitas, reminding us that the Church must “keep the human person at the center” whenever we face new technologies. His words echo what we already know: young people need presence, truth, and love, not algorithms.

So, I encourage you to think about what Jesus would do. What small step can you take today to bring Christ to a young person? And what can your parish do to uplift our youth and help them navigate this new, different world?

 

Why this topic? Mental health, social isolation and pastoral care was surfaced by interviewees in our 2025 diocesan listening exercise across Southern Minnesota. The Catholic Foundation Board has selected this as one of our strategic priorities. Visit our FY27-FY30 strategic plan page to learn more.