TLDR: The 2025 UCAP Congress, held in Accra, Ghana, gathered over 100 Catholic journalists and media practitioners from more than 20 African countries to address the critical theme of ‘Balancing Technological Progress and the Preservation of Human Values in the Age of Artificial Intelligence.’ The congress concluded with a strong call for ethical AI development and implementation, emphasizing transparency, accountability, and respect for human dignity. Key resolutions included establishing ethical guidelines for AI in media, enhancing digital literacy to combat misinformation, and promoting human-centered journalism.
Accra, Ghana – The African Catholic Union of the Press (UCAP) concluded its Triennial Continental Congress in Accra, Ghana, on August 17, 2025, with a resounding call for the ethical integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into media practices across the continent. The week-long gathering, held from August 10-17 at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), convened over 100 Catholic journalists, lecturers, content creators, and media professionals from more than 20 African nations and beyond.
The central theme of the 2025 UCAP Congress was ‘Balancing Technological Progress and the Preservation of Human Values in the Age of Artificial Intelligence.’ Delegates engaged in extensive discussions on both the transformative potential and inherent risks of AI, particularly in the African context. While acknowledging AI’s capacity to revolutionize sectors such as agriculture, eco-innovation, water management, and renewable energy, participants also voiced significant concerns regarding the proliferation of misinformation, deepfakes, the addictive nature of digital platforms, and the potential erosion of authentic human interaction.
Charles Ayetan of Togo, the newly elected President of UCAP, delivered a powerful message at the closing ceremony, asserting that ‘Artificial Intelligence (AI) must serve humanity, not enslave it.’ This sentiment underscored the congress’s core conviction that human dignity must always take precedence over technological advancement. Archbishop Julien Kaboré, the Apostolic Nuncio to Ghana, reinforced this perspective at the opening of the Congress, stating that while AI ‘dazzles with speed and agility,’ it is ‘only the human heart – open to God, truth, and love – that can guide it rightly.’ He further cautioned against ‘the temptation to idolize technology or to delegate moral responsibility to machines,’ emphasizing that AI ‘cannot love, it can’t forgive, it cannot suffer… Only the human person, created by God and called to commit, possesses the capacity to see what is true, to believe what is good, and to rejoice in what is good.’
The Congress culminated in a series of robust resolutions designed to guide Catholic communicators and shape the Church’s engagement with AI and technology in Africa. These key resolutions include:
Promoting Ethical AI Development: Advocating for AI development rooted in transparency, accountability, and profound respect for human dignity.
Combating Misinformation: Strengthening fact-checking initiatives and advancing digital literacy programs to counter disinformation and safeguard democratic spaces.
Reaffirming Human-Centered Journalism: Prioritizing empathy, critical thinking, and the relentless pursuit of truth in journalistic practices.
Establishing Ethical Guidelines: Calling for the creation of specific ethical guidelines for the use of AI in media.
Integrating Digital Literacy and Catholic Social Teaching: Encouraging the incorporation of digital literacy and Catholic social teaching into professional training for media practitioners.
Fostering Collaboration: Urging stronger collaboration with Episcopal Conferences, universities, policymakers, and civil society organizations.
Developing a Continental Charter: Pledging to develop a continental charter on ‘AI and Ethical Journalism’ to serve as a reference for UCAP members.
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Participants also issued recommendations to governments, urging them to regulate AI to prevent manipulation, disinformation, and the erosion of privacy, while simultaneously encouraging investment in ethical frameworks that protect human dignity. Media organizations were called upon to adopt policies ensuring that AI does not replace human judgment and responsibility. The congress is hailed as a landmark event in African Catholic media engagement, providing a roadmap that is both technologically progressive and deeply rooted in Christian and African values, aiming to uphold peace, justice, and the dignity of every human person in the evolving digital landscape.
