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Pope Leo XIV Makes AI Oversight Central to Early Papacy

• By John K. Waters
• 06/23/2025

Pope Leo XIV has made artificial intelligence regulation a defining issue of his young papacy, warning world leaders that the technology threatens human dignity while offering unprecedented benefits to society.

Speaking to legislators from 68 countries at the Vatican's Jubilee of Governments on June 21, the first American pontiff delivered a pointed message about AI's dual nature. The technology "will certainly be of great help to society, provided that its employment does not undermine the identity and dignity of the human person and his or her fundamental freedoms," Leo told the international gathering.

The pope's focus on AI has emerged as a signature theme since his election last month. He raised the issue with the College of Cardinals just two days after becoming pontiff, signaling its importance to his leadership agenda.

Leo expressed particular concern about AI's impact on younger generations, warning that the technology's "static memory" cannot match the "creative, dynamic" power of human cognition. He called for protection of "healthy, fair and sound lifestyles, especially for the good of younger generations."

In a separate message to an AI ethics conference in Rome last week week, the pope warned of potential "misuse for selfish gain" and as a tool to "foment conflict and aggression." He expressed worry about "possible consequences of the use of AI on their intellectual and neurological development" among children and young people, according to Vatican statements.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who attended the Vatican gathering, said she would "treasure the teachings of the pope" and committed Italy to ensuring "that the development of AI is governed by humans and has the wellbeing of humans as its ultimate goal."

The pope's stance builds on warnings from his predecessor, Pope Francis, who cautioned in 2024 that societies were experiencing a loss "of the sense of what is human."

Leo's choice of papal name appears deliberate in addressing technological disruption. Vatican officials noted after his election that his selection of Leo XIV, after Pope Leo XIII who championed workers' rights during the industrial revolution, was "not a casual reference."

The pope argued that while AI proponents promise the technology will accelerate scientific progress and free people for "higher-value and creative work," human relationships require "spaces for development that far transcend the limited patterns that any soulless machine can pre-package."

Leo emphasized that "access to data, however extensive, must not be confused with intelligence," which he said necessarily involves "the person's openness to the ultimate questions of life and reflects an orientation toward the True and the Good."

The Vatican has not announced specific policy proposals for AI regulation, but the pope's repeated emphasis on the issue suggests it will remain a priority throughout his papacy.