Pope Leo XIV on Friday renewed his call for ethical usage of artificial intelligence (AI) saying the Church must leverage technology to lead people to Christ by restoring trust in the usage of digital devices.
Pope Leo made the call in the Vatican while meeting with participants during the international conference on Artificial Intelligence, with the theme, ‘Preserving human faces and voices.’ He also upheld the Church’s involvement in shaping the advancement of digital technologies, while helping educate people on usage.
The one-day conference organised by the Dicastery for Communication and the Dicastery for Culture and Education, brought together experts in the fields of AI, education, and theology to explore the Pope’s message for this year’s World Communications Day.
According to the Pope, the second Vatican council’s decree on the Mass Media, recalls that the Church was founded by Christ to bring salvation to individuals through the Gospel by employing the means at her disposal.
‘This desire for everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth, must therefore inform not only our decisions and actions, but also the use and direction given to media, digital technology, and artificial intelligence, in order to ensure that these tools be placed at the authentic service of humanity.’
The Pope noted that unbridled implementation of technology at the expense of human dignity leads to tools that exploit human relationships, and urged the Church to help people rediscover ‘the true meaning and grandeur of humanity as intended by God.’
The Pope invited the Church and her leaders to work with educational systems to foster media and AI literacy in young people, so that they learn to think critically. According to him, the Church must help the youth learn moderation and discipline in their usage of technology, just as it seeks the spiritual wellbeing of young people.
‘Young people in particular are open to this truth and desirous of discovering life’s meaning. We must therefore help them to encounter the living Christ and teach them to integrate the use of technology within a holistic Christian lifestyle.’
Pope Leo XIV also pointed out that the age of AI and human response to it is an essential theme for the Church, as she seeks to help individuals grow to full maturity. ‘It is my hope that these reflections lead to a restored trust in technology as a fruit of the genius of the human person in harmony with God’s creative design.’