Pope Leo XIV has warned that artificial intelligence must not come at the expense of human dignity, conscience and personal relationships.
The Pope said technological progress should remain under human responsibility and be directed towards serving people rather than replacing the values that define humanity.
Speaking to members of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences at the Vatican on Thursday, Pope Leo acknowledged the potential of AI to drive advances in areas including medicine, food and energy systems, scientific research and human creativity.
But he also highlighted risks linked to the technology, including surveillance, manipulation, discrimination and the use of autonomous weapons without adequate human oversight.
“Scientific and technological advancement must therefore be accompanied by a corresponding growth in responsibility,” he said.
The Pope has repeatedly raised concerns about the growing influence of AI and algorithms on human decision-making.
In September, he warned against handing decisions that require human judgement over to algorithms, arguing that technological development must not weaken relationships between people.
He has also called for AI to be developed in ways that protect human dignity and strengthen peace, dialogue and solidarity among nations.
In his May 2026 encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, Pope Leo argued that humanity must remain “profoundly human” in an era increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence.
He said AI should be guided by human conscience and responsibility, warning that moral judgement cannot simply be reduced to calculation.
The Pope’s latest intervention comes as governments, technology companies and researchers continue to debate how rapidly advancing AI should be developed and regulated.
While AI has opened new possibilities across society, concerns remain over its potential impact on employment, privacy, security, misinformation and human relationships.
For Pope Leo, the central question is not simply what AI can achieve, but whether technological progress continues to serve the dignity and common good of humanity.
