Pope Leo XIV has urged researchers, policymakers and technology developers to ensure that artificial intelligence remains accountable to human judgment, particularly where life, freedom and the use of force are at stake.
Human dignity before technological power
Addressing participants in a Vatican meeting on the future of AI on 30 October, the Pope said machines should be treated as tools rather than persons and that technological progress must be measured by its service to humanity.
He emphasised that the direction of AI development is not inevitable: developers, governments and communities retain responsibility for shaping, restricting or rejecting applications that threaten human dignity.
Oversight and accountability
The Pope argued for independent oversight, shared standards and clear avenues of accountability when AI systems cause harm. He also urged progress toward a ban on lethal autonomous weapons.
For Catholic communities, including younger people navigating increasingly automated environments, his remarks offer a framework for thinking about digital tools in light of responsibility, solidarity and the common good.
Source
Vatican News — Pope on AI: Decisions affecting human life must never be delegated (30 October 2026).
