On June 17, 2025, Pope Leo XIV addressed the theme of Artificial Intelligence with remarkable clarity and depth, speaking at the Second Annual Conference on AI, Ethics, and Corporate Governance.
The choice to host part of the event in the solemn Sala Regia of the Vatican underscores the importance the Church assigns to this issue, recognizing that AI now represents a crucial question for the future of humanity. From the very first lines, the Pontiff reaffirms that artificial intelligence is a tool and, as such, reflects the mind and will of its creators. However, this assertion does not reduce AI to a neutral means: rather, it underscores the ethical responsibility of those who design, develop, and deploy it.
The ethics of AI, therefore, does not stem from machines but from human conscience. Leo XIV acknowledges the many benefits offered by these technologies, particularly in the medical and scientific fields, where previously unimaginable possibilities are opening up for diagnosis, research, and treatment.
Yet alongside these opportunities, the Pope highlights concrete and serious risks: the use of AI for selfish, military, or manipulative purposes; the temptation to reduce the human being to a function, an algorithm, or a mere data point; and above all, the eclipse of the sense of the human person—a concern already raised by his predecessor, Pope Francis. The deepest danger, according to Leo XIV, is precisely the loss of reference to the dignity of the person, unique and unrepeatable, created in the image of God.
The Pontiff expresses particular concern for the impact of AI on younger generations. Young people, despite having access to vast amounts of data, risk confusing the availability of information with wisdom and truth. Education thus becomes a priority area: we must shape critical consciences capable of discerning between what is useful and what is just, between what is efficient and what is good. AI cannot replace the human heart and conscience, and for this very reason, it must be accompanied by a culture of responsibility.
The message also contains a clear reference to the threats AI may pose to individual and collective freedom. Algorithmic technologies can become tools of surveillance, social control, and manipulation of public opinion, potentially undermining the foundations of democracy. The possibility that data might be used to construct tailored narratives, steer citizens' choices, or promote partisan interests is a real danger that Pope Leo XIV does not hesitate to denounce. In this context, freedom is not just a value to be defended but a principle to be safeguarded through just rules, transparency, and human oversight.
AI cannot be allowed to autonomously decide the fate of individuals or nations. The Pontiff repeatedly emphasizes that the Church seeks to collaborate with all living forces of society—institutions, scientists, businesses, educators—to build an "epochal framework" capable of safeguarding human dignity. Within this context, the intention of a future encyclical dedicated to artificial intelligence becomes increasingly clear.
There are many signs: from the reference to Pope Leo XIII and the Rerum Novarum, written during the height of the industrial revolution, to the continuity with the reflections of Pope Francis, and the theological and moral depth of this very message, which goes far beyond a mere pastoral note. AI today is what industrial labor was at the end of the 19th century: a crossroads between technology, social justice, and the vision of humanity. Just as then, the Church feels the duty to offer a clear voice, inspired by the Gospel yet capable of dialoguing with the world.
Pope Leo XIV thus issues a strong yet measured appeal: we cannot abdicate the task of governing innovation with wisdom, respect, and compassion. The challenge is not to prevent the development of AI but to guide it toward the common good. His words are a call to shared responsibility: no one can remain indifferent. Politicians, entrepreneurs, scientists, educators, citizens—everyone is called to reflect on the future we are building.
If AI becomes a tool of domination, exclusion, or blind profit, it will be a human failure before it is a technological one. But if it is anchored in a culture of justice, freedom, and care, it can become an ally of humanity. In this sense, Pope Leo XIV's message is a prophetic sign: it calls us back to the centrality of the person, to the defense of democracy, and to the urgent need to rethink educational, economic, and political models in light of the new digital condition.
Artificial intelligence is the proving ground of our time. And it is precisely for this reason that, by all indications, the Church is preparing to offer a solid and profound reflection through a future encyclical that may serve as an ethical compass for all humanity.
— Marco Baratto
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