Pope Leo XIV’s Pontificate Focuses on AI Ethics and Regulation (Speaker: Sean Spence)
Pope Leo XIV, the newly elected American pontiff, has declared artificial intelligence (AI) and its impact on human dignity, justice, and labor as a signature issue of his papacy. Drawing inspiration from his namesake, Pope Leo XIII, who advocated for workers’ rights during the Industrial Revolution, Pope Leo XIV aims to address the challenges posed by the digital age with the Church’s social teachings.
This marks a significant shift in the Vatican’s engagement with the tech sector. While previous dialogues with Silicon Valley executives from companies like Google, Microsoft, and Cisco have been ongoing for over a decade, aiming to shape the Vatican’s perspective on AI, Pope Leo XIV is embracing a more critical stance. His predecessor, Pope Francis, despite initial unfamiliarity with technology, grew increasingly concerned about AI’s potential dangers and began advocating for a legally binding international treaty on AI. This position directly contrasts with some tech companies and the former Trump administration, who favor voluntary ethical guidelines over strict regulation.
Pope Leo XIV, a math graduate and more tech-savvy than Francis, is expected to continue this push for strong, internationally binding regulations. The Vatican is currently hosting a two-day international conference on AI, ethics, and corporate governance with executives from major tech firms, signaling the Church’s intent to remain a leading global voice on this issue and advocate for a “superior authority” to regulate AI’s development and deployment.
A/V requirements: