Catholic Bishops Appoint Meghan Sullivan to AI Task Force

The USCCB selected the Notre Dame professor to help guide the Church's approach to protecting human dignity in the age of AI.

Updated on Oct. 16, 2026 in Catholicism

Bold flat-color editorial illustration showing a stone arch framing a geometric lattice, representing the intersection of ethics and artificial intelligence. — The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has appointed Notre Dame professor Meghan Sullivan to its task force on AI ethics. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has appointed Notre Dame philosophy professor Meghan Sullivan as a consultant to its Task Force on Preserving Human Dignity in the Age of Artificial Intelligence. This task force, formed to address the rapid development of AI, aims to promote policies that safeguard human dignity and democratic institutions.

Why it matters

The task force was created in response to Pope Leo XIV's encyclical Magnifica Humanitas to ensure that emerging technologies respect fundamental ethical standards. By incorporating lay experts, the leadership hopes to better navigate the intersection of faith and technological progress.

The task force includes 7 bishops and 3 lay consultants. Meghan Sullivan, who directs the Institute for Ethics and the Common Good, previously launched the DELTA framework, which has been featured in over 80 training sessions and events.

The players

Meghan Sullivan

She is the Wilsey Family College Professor of Philosophy at the University of Notre Dame and directs the Institute for Ethics and the Common Good.

Bishop Oscar Cantu

He serves as the Bishop of San Jose and is the chair of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops task force.

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

This is an assembly of the hierarchy of the Catholic Church in the United States who exercise pastoral functions.

The details

The task force is chaired by Bishop Oscar Cantu of San Jose and brings together various experts to apply the DELTA framework, which centers on the principles of dignity, embodiment, love, transcendence, and agency. Sullivan brings her academic expertise from the University of Notre Dame to help the Church evaluate the ethical impacts of AI development.

September 2025: Meghan Sullivan launched the DELTA framework at Notre Dame.
September 16, 2026: The USCCB announced the formation of the task force.
October 16, 2026: The USCCB announced the appointment of Meghan Sullivan.

Culture Shift

The task force was formed in response to Pope Leo XIV's encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, marking a direct attempt to apply its tenets to AI. This appointment reflects the broader movement to integrate traditional ethical frameworks with rapid technological advancements.

The involvement of lay consultants suggests that future ethical guidance from the Church will focus on practical applications of the DELTA framework. This may influence how Catholics evaluate and interact with AI tools in their daily professional and personal lives.

The takeaway

The Church's integration of the DELTA framework emphasizes that technological development should always prioritize human dignity and agency. Readers can consider how these principles of embodiment, love, and transcendence apply to their own use of automated and AI-driven services.