Archbishop Georgios urges pupils to meet technology challenges with critical thinking

Nicosia, Cyprus. Archbishop Georgios of Cyprus said learning requires effort, discipline and consistency, urging pupils not to be discouraged by setbacks as the new school year begins.

He also warned that technology and artificial intelligence could weaken critical thinking and make it harder to distinguish truth from falsehood.

Message to pupils and teachers

Addressing pupils, the archbishop said failures were a natural part of their efforts and could become lessons in life.

“In your efforts, it is only natural that you will encounter failures. Do not be afraid of them and do not be discouraged. Failures, too, can become lessons in life,” he said.

“What matters is not that we never fall, but that we have the strength to get back up and carry on.”

Georgios said the start of a new school year brought renewed hopes and a willingness to work harder to improve. The Church, he said, blessed those efforts and was ready to offer help when asked.

He added that education required cooperation between teachers, who impart knowledge and values, and pupils.

“As a Church, we therefore bless today both teachers and pupils, those who teach and those who are taught, and invoke God’s blessing for the success of the cooperation required between them,” he said.

Technology and artificial intelligence

The archbishop said modern devices enabled access to a vast amount of information within seconds.

“Technology can become an invaluable ally in education and communication. Nevertheless, it often leads to the neglect of cultivating critical thinking, which guides us towards genuine knowledge,” he said.

He added that artificial intelligence had created the risk of “confusing falsehood with truth and failing to distinguish pretence from authenticity”.