Bishop Ricardo Valenzuela of Caacupé used his homily on Sunday, May 17, 2026, to issue a stark warning about the growing influence of artificial intelligence and digital technologies on human relationships and society. Speaking during the Mass of the Ascension of the Lord at the Basilica of Our Lady of the Miracles in Caacupé, Valenzuela drew on Pope Leo XIV's message for the World Day of Social Communications, which emphasized preserving 'human voices and faces' amid the rise of digital systems.
'Love demands presence. I want to hear your voice, I want to see you,' Valenzuela said, criticizing relationships sustained solely through devices and screens. He warned that AI tools risk turning people into 'passive consumers' of automatically generated content, undermining creativity, critical thinking, and discernment. 'The machine cannot replace the human being,' he asserted.
The bishop also expressed concern about systems designed to simulate human conversation, arguing they can create emotional dependency and weaken authentic bonds. He highlighted the danger of a few companies or platforms accumulating control over information, shaping how society interprets reality. 'They do everything and give us their story,' he said.