On 30 October 2026, leading international AI researchers and Holy See representatives met at the Casina Pio IV in Vatican City for “The Future of AI: A Dialogue Between the Vatican and the Scientific World on the Developments and Applications of Intelligent Technologies.” The meeting was co-organised by the Pontifical Academy for Life and the Future of Life Institute, and participants were received in audience by Pope Leo XIV.
Drawing on his encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, the Pope offered five considerations: the future of AI is not pre-determined; machines are tools, not persons; certain decisions can never be delegated; intelligent technologies must serve the common good; and institutions are needed to put ethical principles into practice.
“Decisions affecting human life, freedom and the use of force must always remain subject to effective, informed and responsible human oversight,” he said, urging States meeting in Geneva in November 2026 to take steps to ban lethal autonomous weapons. He also cautioned against granting AI systems legal personhood, warning that it could obscure human responsibility.
The Pope called for “shared standards, independent oversight, and clear mechanisms of accountability” so that decisions about AI can be examined, challenged and remedied. Participants also discussed meaningful human control, safety by design, and the future of work.
