Pope Leo XIV has issued a strong call for artificial intelligence developers to operate within an ethical framework that upholds human dignity, marking a continuation of the Vatican’s growing engagement with the moral implications of emerging technologies. In a statement delivered to a high-profile gathering in Rome involving both Vatican officials and leading figures from Silicon Valley, the Pope emphasized that artificial intelligence must prioritize the intellectual, spiritual, and material well-being of human beings.
“AI must take into account the well-being of the human person not only materially, but also intellectually and spiritually,” Pope Leo said in the message sent Friday to participants at the Rome Conference on AI. He cautioned against mistaking data access for actual understanding, noting, “No generation has ever had such quick access to the amount of information now available through AI. But access to data — however extensive — must not be confused with intelligence.”
Leo XIV’s message was delivered during the second day of the Rome Conference on AI, an event that attracted global tech companies such as Google, OpenAI, Anthropic, IBM, Meta, and Palantir, as well as scholars from leading universities like Harvard and Stanford. Vatican dignitaries were also in attendance, highlighting the church’s expanding focus on the ethical and societal impact of artificial intelligence.
Amid the backdrop of rapid AI evolution, the Pope voiced particular concern over its potential effects on the younger generation. He pointed to risks AI might pose to children’s cognitive and neurological development, warning that “society’s well-being depends upon their being given the ability to develop their God-given gifts and capabilities.”
The AI landscape today is marked by stark contrasts. On one hand, the technology holds enormous promise: it can improve worker productivity, accelerate scientific discovery, and aid in the fight against diseases. On the other, it raises fears about job displacement, the proliferation of misinformation, environmental degradation, and the expansion of powerful surveillance and weapons systems. While many tech executives argue that tighter regulations could stifle innovation and hinder global competitiveness, the Vatican is urging a different course—one that centers human ethics and values.
“In some cases, AI has been used in positive and indeed noble ways to promote greater equality,” Pope Leo acknowledged. “But there is likewise the possibility of its misuse for selfish gain at the expense of others, or worse, to foment conflict and aggression.”
Though the Vatican has no legislative authority over AI development, it is increasingly asserting itself as a moral voice on the issue. Its involvement in AI ethics traces back to 2020, when it hosted a meeting that included tech leaders, European Union regulators, and the late Pope Francis. That gathering produced the “Rome Call for AI Ethics,” a foundational document promoting “human-centric” AI. Signatories to the declaration included major tech players such as IBM, Microsoft, and Qualcomm.
In 2022, Pope Francis escalated the Church’s advocacy by calling for an international treaty to govern AI use. He warned against the rise of a “technological dictatorship,” referencing AI-powered weapons, invasive surveillance tools, manipulation of electoral processes, and the risk of increasing global inequality. These remarks came shortly after a digitally generated image of him in an oversized white puffy coat went viral online, a moment that underscored the technology’s reach and risks. In 2024, he broke new ground by becoming the first pope to address the G7 summit, where he outlined a comprehensive ethical vision for the development of artificial intelligence.
Pope Leo XIV, who succeeded Francis as pontiff just a month ago, has indicated he intends to maintain a similar focus on AI and its implications for workers and society. Upon his ascension, Leo signaled a commitment to follow in Francis’ footsteps, especially on matters of Church reform and ethical engagement with technological advances. His papal name is a tribute to Pope Leo XIII, who shepherded the Catholic Church through the industrial revolution and famously supported workers’ rights in his encyclical advocating fair wages and union formation.
Drawing parallels between the challenges of the 19th-century industrial age and those posed by today’s AI revolution, Leo XIV stated that the Church’s social teachings should guide humanity’s engagement with new technologies. “In our own day, the Church offers to everyone the treasury of her social teaching in response to another industrial revolution and to developments in the field of artificial intelligence that pose new challenges for the defense of human dignity, justice and labor,” he declared in a May address.
Friday’s AI conference inside the Vatican’s apostolic palace featured a roundtable on ethical governance in AI. Attendees from the Church included Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, a key liaison between the Vatican and business leaders on technology issues, and Archbishop Edgar Peña Parra, who serves as the Vatican’s “sostituto,” essentially the papal chief of staff.
Just days before the conference, Pope Leo brought up artificial intelligence during a speech to Italian bishops, reinforcing the Church’s ongoing concern about its impact on human values. “Artificial intelligence, biotechnologies, data economy and social media are profoundly transforming our perception and our experience of life,” he told the bishops. “In this scenario, human dignity risks becoming diminished or forgotten, substituted by functions, automatism, simulations. But the person is not a system of algorithms: he or she is a creature, relationship, mystery.”
A central topic of Friday’s discussion was AI governance—how companies can balance profit-making responsibilities with the ethical imperative to avoid causing harm. This issue is growing increasingly urgent, especially as the United States considers a legislative provision backed by President Donald Trump that would halt enforcement of state-level AI regulations for a decade. The move could significantly weaken current oversight mechanisms in the country.
Amid these concerns, Pope Leo emphasized the need for AI developers to honor what is uniquely human in their work. “In his statement, Leo called on tech leaders to acknowledge and respect ‘what is uniquely characteristic of the human person’ as they seek to develop an ethical framework for AI development.”
The message from the Vatican’s new leader serves as a continuation of the Church’s mission to be a moral compass in a world being reshaped by technology. As artificial intelligence continues to redefine work, society, and even personal identity, Pope Leo XIV has made clear that the Church will remain engaged in promoting ethics, justice, and human dignity in the digital age.