AI News Monitor

Pope Leo XIV issued a stark warning on Friday about the dangers artificial intelligence poses to the intellectual, neurological, and spiritual growth of young people, underscoring one of the defining concerns of his nascent papacy.

In a message delivered to a global conference on AI and ethics—partly hosted at the Vatican—the first American pope urged that all technological advancements be measured against the “superior ethical criterion” of safeguarding human dignity. He emphasized that society’s future hinges on nurturing the God-given potential of youth, rather than allowing them to conflate data access with true wisdom.

“All of us, I am sure, are concerned for children and young people, and the possible consequences of AI on their intellectual and neurological development,” he wrote. “Authentic wisdom has more to do with recognizing the true meaning of life than with the availability of data.”

Since his election in May, Leo XIV has repeatedly flagged AI as a critical challenge to human dignity, labor, and justice—a modern parallel to Pope Leo XIII’s advocacy for workers during the Industrial Revolution. His predecessor, Pope Francis, had also called for international AI regulation, insisting that decisions affecting human lives must remain in human hands.

The pontiff’s latest remarks come as governments and tech leaders grapple with AI’s rapid evolution. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who attended a separate Jubilee event where Leo reiterated his concerns, pledged to prioritize human-centric AI governance.

“Our personal life has greater value than any algorithm,” the pope declared, “and social relationships require spaces no machine can pre-package.”

As debates over AI’s ethical boundaries intensify, Leo XIV’s voice adds moral weight to a global conversation—one he shows no sign of leaving quietly.