The Catholic Church leaders in Ireland expressed concern about AI’s effects on employment. Archbishop Eamon Martin said AI is being hosted, shaped, governed, and developed in Ireland and that workers in high-tech, IT, and financial services are already seeing impacts. Archbishop Dermot Farrell said AI will affect more jobs than those in the tech sector and emphasized that job losses harm human life. He linked work to learning, relationships, and social interaction, noting that isolation during Covid-19 showed the consequences of being separated from others. The concerns align with an IMF warning that AI could affect up to 40% of jobs in Ireland. Martin urged legislators to create a forum for people to voice concerns and hopes, bringing together technology, education, legislators, the church, young people, and families.
"“AI is being hosted, shaped, governed and developed here on this island,” he said. “If you think about the number of people in Ireland who are earning their living working in big high-tech companies, working in IT, the financial services, a lot of them are already seeing the impact on their work.”"
"“AI, Dr Farrell stressed, ‘will affect more jobs than just those in the tech sector’.” He said Pope Leo was concerned about the impact of job losses on human life. “As human beings we learn lots of things when we work, that's where we develop relationships and interaction with people. During Covid-19 we saw the impact when people were forced to stay at home,” he said."
"Dr Martin called on legislators to “step up” and establish “some kind of forum where people are able to voice their concerns and their hopes on AI”, which he said was “a matter of major importance to the country”. The forum he envisaged would bring together people from technology, from education, legislators, the church, and from other areas in society, like young people and families."
Read at Irish Independent
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