"All Too Human: AI at the Crossroads Between Freedom and Domination"

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

APPEAL TO THE HOLY FATHER For a solemn message to the world, in defense of peace

APPEAL TO THE HOLY FATHER
For a solemn message to the world, in defense of peace

Your Holiness,

In this dark hour of human history — when the path of dialogue and reason is being abandoned — we, the faithful, citizens, and people of conscience, turn to You with both reverence and urgency.

As did Your predecessors — Benedict XV during the First World War, Pius XII in 1939, and John XXIII with Pacem in Terris — we humbly ask You to issue a solemn, global, and unambiguous message addressed to the leaders of nations and to all peoples.

Not a regular exhortation, not a brief mention in a homily or Angelus, but a special message, spread through all available means of mass communication, so that it may reach the halls of power, the parliaments, the homes, and the hearts of the world.

Peace today needs a word that is unarmed and disarming.
A word that leaves no room for ambiguity, that rises above political mediation, that boldly calls for an end to the path of war — for a return to negotiation, international law, and the dignity of every human life.

Your Holiness,
Your voice can still awaken the conscience of the world. History is waiting for a sign.

https://www.change.org/paceinterra

“God Is Not a Weapon: The Pope Condemns Politicians Who Preach Christ but Practice Division”

In his address to lawmakers on the occasion of the Jubilee of Governors, Pope Leo XIV tackled two deeply intertwined issues: religious freedom and interreligious dialogue on one side, and the ethical challenges posed by artificial intelligence on the other. These two fronts not only reveal the limits and potential of our times, but they directly call into question the political, social, and cultural responsibilities of those in power.

The Pope's call for genuine religious freedom is more urgent than ever in a world where, paradoxically, Christianity is being increasingly weaponized by certain political leaders—both in Italy and abroad. His reflection on the contrast between "amor sui" and "amor Dei," drawn from St. Augustine, is ethically striking: Augustine is invoked not merely as a theological reference but as a moral measuring stick for public action. "Amor sui"—self-centered, defensive, identity-driven love—is the force behind much of today's political rhetoric, especially when religion is involved.

In Italy, we're witnessing a disturbing trend: Christianity is being distorted into a tool of fear and division. The Gospel becomes a cover, not a message. Some politicians champion crucifixes in classrooms and Nativity scenes in public buildings, yet simultaneously promote language that dehumanizes immigrants, marginalizes religious minorities, and effectively blocks any meaningful interfaith dialogue. They speak of Christianity, but live without charity. They use "tradition" not as a bridge to others, but as a weapon against them.

This instrumentalization of faith undermines the very foundation of Augustine's civitas Dei—the City of God—which Pope Leo XIV references. A society built on love cannot tolerate the hypocrisy of those who brandish religious symbols to justify exclusion, bigotry, or intolerance. True Christianity—the one rooted in "amor Dei"—demands openness, dialogue, listening, compassion, and above all, the full recognition of every person's freedom to believe—or not to believe.

In reality, that freedom is often only theoretical in Italy. Many politicians only defend religious liberty when it aligns with their idea of dominant religion. Other faiths—particularly Islam—are treated as threats. Laws, ordinances, and public statements increasingly make it harder for non-Christian communities to build places of worship. A quiet racism lingers against those who wear a veil or a yarmulke. Religious identities outside the Christian norm are often labeled "non-integratable," forgetting that real integration grows from mutual respect, not forced conformity.

With sober but piercing language, the Pope exposes this hypocrisy and urges lawmakers to align their principles with real-world policies. His warning extends to MAGA circles in the United States, where "Christian identity" has often been twisted into a nationalist, supremacist, even vengeful ideology. There too, religion is invoked not to build bridges but to draw lines in the sand, not to heal but to dominate. There too, "amor sui" reigns over "amor Dei." In both cases, the heart of faith—openness to the other—is replaced by a banner of exclusion. God is reduced to a partisan mascot.

In the second part of his speech, Pope Leo XIV turns with prophetic clarity to the question of artificial intelligence. His words lay bare the structural limits of machines when compared to the depth of human complexity. Artificial intelligence—no matter how advanced in data processing—remains soulless, incapable of true memory in the human sense: that creative, dynamic, and generative force that weaves together past, present, and future in a living, meaningful pursuit.

This is a powerful warning in an era where technological efficiency is often valued more than moral reflection, and political decisions are increasingly guided by algorithms, polls, and automated logic. The Pope warns us not to delegate what is most human to machines: the pursuit of the common good, the protection of dignity, the depth of relationship. Beneath this, we can glimpse a broader message: humanity must not be reduced to calculation, and politics must be more than number management.

What is needed is not only an ethics of technology—but an anthropology that re-centers human beings as conscious, free, and responsible agents. It's now evident that this speech is laying the groundwork for a forthcoming papal document, almost certainly an encyclical, focused on artificial intelligence. The words already spoken by Pope Francis at the G7, and now echoed by Leo XIV, seem like a systematic prelude: the Church's magisterium is preparing a profound reflection that will engage theology, philosophy, science, and politics.

And rightly so—AI is not merely a technical issue, it is a spiritual and ethical one. It forces us to ask: What does it mean to be human? What is justice, truth, freedom? And perhaps most radically: Who controls AI? Whose interests shape it? Who holds it accountable? A papal encyclical on these questions would be a major cultural event, offering a much-needed moral compass in a world chasing blind progress.

In the end, Pope Leo XIV's address is not just a message to lawmakers—it is a wake-up call to every conscience. He challenges us to choose between "amor sui" and "amor Dei," between self-serving power and politics as service, between closed identities and faith as gift. He urges us to place human beings—not algorithms—at the center of history. But above all, he demands coherence: you cannot speak of God and simultaneously deny another's freedom. You cannot preach Christian civilization while rejecting your neighbor.

The City of God is built with self-giving love, not with fear and slogans. Those who today in Italy—and elsewhere—use religion to divide, exclude, or harvest votes are betraying the very core of what they claim to defend. And those who do it in the name of Christ are lying twice—once to humanity, and once to God

Marco Baratto