Pope Leo XIV has formed a new Vatican commission on artificial intelligence, a body tasked with coordinating the Catholic Church’s response to the rapid development of AI and its consequences for society. The Vatican said the decision was made because of the growing use of artificial intelligence, its potential effects on human beings and humanity as a whole, and the Church’s concern for the dignity of every person.
The commission is expected to align the work of different Vatican institutions already dealing with questions of technology, ethics, labour and social change caused by the development of artificial intelligence. The Vatican has not yet announced the composition of the commission or when its members will be appointed, but reports say theologians, technology experts, philosophers and representatives of the academic community are expected to be involved.
The decision comes ahead of the new pope’s first encyclical, a pastoral text expected to address the ethical approach to artificial intelligence and its impact on the modern world. According to reports, the issue of AI is expected to become one of the central themes of Pope Leo XIV’s pontificate, as he seeks a clearer Church position on responsibility and limits in the development of new technologies.
The pope has already warned about the risks of technological development when it is connected with war and advanced weapons. During a visit to La Sapienza University in Rome, he criticized growing investment in artificial intelligence and advanced armaments, warning that such a technological direction could lead humanity into a spiral of destruction. He also pointed to rising military spending while budgets for health and education are being reduced, and stressed that machines must not replace human responsibility in decisions related to war.
The creation of the commission comes at a time of global debate over AI regulation, its influence on labour markets, education, security and political processes. For Pope Leo XIV, the central concern is that technological progress must not endanger basic human rights, social justice or human dignity.
