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Pope Leo XIV has issued a stark warning regarding the potential negative impact of artificial intelligence on the intellectual, neurological, and spiritual development of young people.
The caution was delivered in a message to a major conference on AI and ethics.
The conference, which saw part of its proceedings held within the Vatican, underscored the Holy See's growing concern over emerging technologies and their broader implications for humanity.
The Pope's message highlighted the Vatican's proactive engagement with the ethical dimensions of AI.
In his address, Pope Leo stressed that any future development of artificial intelligence must be rigorously evaluated against a "superior ethical criterion": the imperative to safeguard the dignity of every human being while simultaneously respecting the diverse tapestry of the world's population.
He specifically cautioned that new generations face the greatest risk from these advancements, given their unprecedented and rapid access to information, a factor that could exacerbate negative developmental impacts.
“All of us, I am sure, are concerned for children and young people, and the possible consequences of the use of AI on their intellectual and neurological development,” he said in the message.
“Society’s well-being depends upon their being given the ability to develop their God-given gifts and capabilities,” and not allow them to confuse mere access to data with intelligence, he said.
“In the end, authentic wisdom has more to do with recognising the true meaning of life, than with the availability of data.”
Leo, who was elected in May after the death of Pope Francis, has identified AI as one of the most critical matters facing humanity, saying it poses challenges to defending human dignity, justice and labour.
He has explained his concern for AI by invoking his namesake, Pope Leo XIII.
That Leo was pope during the dawn of the Industrial Revolution and made the plight of workers, and the need to guarantee their rights and dignity, a key priority.
Toward the end of his pontificate, Francis became increasingly vocal about the threats to humanity posed by AI and called for an international treaty to regulate it.
Francis said politicians must take the lead in making sure AI remains human-centric, so that decisions about when to use weapons or even less-lethal tools always remain made by humans and not machines.
