A New Industrial Revolution
Pope Leo XIV sees the rise of AI as a moment that requires the Church to apply and update its social teaching, drawing a parallel to a historical predecessor. In his first speech to the Cardinals, he explained his choice of the name Leo. He noted that just as Pope Leo XIII addressed the social question during the first industrial revolution, the Church today is called to propose its patrimony of social doctrine in the face of the artificial intelligence revolution, which “pose new challenges for the defence of human dignity, justice and labour” (May 10, 2025). He spoke of a “growing demand” for social doctrine that should be met with “criteria of discernment, sound ethical principles and openness to God’s grace” (May 17, 2025).
A Global Call to Action
Pope Leo XIV views AI as a major global issue that requires a collective and ethical response. He affirmed that AI has “immense potential” but demands “responsibility and discernment in order to ensure that it can be used for the good of all.” He stressed that this responsibility is not just for experts but for every person, “in proportion to his or her age and role in society” (May 12, 2025).
The Pope placed AI among the great questions that challenge the human conscience, alongside migration and the safeguarding of creation, stating it requires “commitment and cooperation on the part of all” (May 16, 2025). He called for “serious reflection and ongoing discussion.” He said the Church wishes to contribute to a “serene and informed discussion” that can hold technological development and the common good together. He added that AI must be evaluated in light of the “integral development of the human person and society,” including its material, cultural, and spiritual dimensions (June 17, 2025).
Recognizing AI as a “major challenge” for civilization, the Pope has called on political leaders and governments to engage with the issue with foresight and attention. He insists that politics “cannot ignore a challenge of this magnitude” and must work to establish healthy and sound lifestyles, especially for younger generations. This requires creating ethical and regulatory safeguards to prevent AI from being used to perpetuate marginalization or undermine truth (June 21, 2025).
Protecting the Next Generation
The Pope has stressed his profound concern for the intellectual and neurological development of children and young people in the age of AI: “Our youth must be helped, and not hindered, in their journey towards maturity and true responsibility” (June 17, 2025). This pastoral anxiety is not abstract, as tragically illustrated by reports from October of last year, when an AI chatbot allegedly motivated a Florida boy to commit suicide.
Humanity Over the Algorithm
At the core of Pope Leo XIV’s thought is a clear, anthropological vision. This requires safeguarding the inviolable dignity of every person and ensuring that technological advancement does not undermine fundamental freedoms.
He insists that technology must remain subordinate to the human person: “Our personal life has greater value than any algorithm, and social relationships require spaces for development that far transcend the limited patterns that any soulless machine can pre-package” (June 21, 2025). He forcefully rejected the reduction of humanity to mere functions or simulations, declaring that “the person is not a system of algorithms: he or she is a creature, relationship, mystery.” He warned that without a vibrant reflection on what it means to be human, ethics becomes a mere code and faith risks becoming disembodied (June 17, 2025).
Reflecting on memory, he explained that while AI can accumulate vast amounts of data, its memory is “static.” It lacks the creative and dynamic memory that characterizes a human being. Human memory, he described, is “creative, dynamic, generative, capable of uniting past, present and future in a lively and fruitful search for meaning, with all the ethical and existential implications that this entails” (June 21, 2025).
Pope Leo XIV's Interventions on AI
- Address to the College of Cardinals (May 10, 2025)
- Meeting with the Representatives of the Media Gathered in Rome for the Conclave (May 12, 2025)
- Audience with the Diplomatic Corps Accredited to the Holy See (May 16, 2025)
- Address to Members of the “Centesimus Annus Pro Pontifice” Foundation (May 17, 2025)
- Address to the Italian Episcopal Conference (June 17, 2025)
- Message to Participants in the Second Annual Conference on Artificial Intelligence, Ethics, and Corporate Governance (June 17, 2025)
- Address to Members of the International Inter-Parliamentary Union (June 21, 2025)