As Americans observe Labor Day 2025, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is urging Catholics to reflect on how AI is reshaping the dignity of work.
“Each Labor Day, Americans reflect on the sacred dignity of work and those who perform it,” wrote Archbishop Borys Gudziak, the chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development.
The reflection comes amid rapid technological change.
“All are seeing the rise of artificial intelligence in our lives — at home and at work,” Archbishop Gudziak wrote. “People wonder what impact AI will have on their jobs or those of loved ones.”
While recognizing the potential good, such as in healthcare where “AI could very well aid in the important development of vaccines, medicines, and even the diagnosis of disease,” the archbishop warns that “this should never happen at the expense of human dignity.”
“In patient care, there is a risk that AI could attempt to replace human compassion, or supplant human expertise in medical evaluation,” he wrote. “In many industries, a number of workers could lose their jobs, impacting families and communities.”
Drawing on Catholic social teaching, he invokes the warnings of Rerum Novarum, an 1891 papal encyclical.
“Pope Leo XIII cautioned that the Industrial Revolution led to a troubling gap in wealth and power, deepening inequality and fueling social instability,” Archbishop Gudziak noted. “Today, as we experience an ‘AI revolution,’ we must learn from the past.”
The Church is not anti-technology, but calls for discernment, the archbishop wrote, noting Pope Leo XIV’s urging to approach AI with “‘responsibility and discernment,’ ensuring it serves the common good and benefits all people.”
Archbishop Gudziak points to the Vatican’s Antiqua et Nova, which warns that AI can “’deskill’ workers” or “displace workers altogether.” These impacts, Gudziak notes, “touch every level of employment.”
“We must advocate for the responsible use of technology, robust protection for those vulnerable to exploitation, a social safety net that allows people to avoid the cycle of poverty, and fair treatment of all workers,” he continued.
The archbishop noted that workers themselves “should be included in the business and policy decisions that will shape the world of work going forward.”
Archbishop Gudziak concluded by urging Catholics to call on St. Joseph the Worker, who as a humble carpenter “modeled dignity, diligence, and care through his daily labor and love of family.”
“Through his intercession,” he added, “may we protect the rights of all workers, advocate courageously for the vulnerable, and ensure that technological progress always honors the sacredness of human work.”
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Author: Annie Ferguson
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