Pope Leo warned on Friday that AI must not be allowed to diminish humanity, urging political leaders to ensure technological innovation serves the common good.
Addressing members of the International Catholic Legislators Network, the pope said rapid development of artificial intelligence was raising one of the defining moral questions of the modern age.
“Every technological achievement also confronts humanity with a moral question: not merely what can we do, but what ought we to do?” he said.
Leo said lawmakers had a responsibility not to hinder innovation but to guide it wisely, calling for legislation that promotes scientific and technological progress while protecting fundamental rights and freedoms.
He said such policies should protect users from exploitation, preserve privacy, ensure transparency and strengthen democratic institutions.
The pope also warned that the rapid development of AI could create new forms of technological dependence, particularly for poorer countries, and risk becoming a tool of “ideological or economic colonialism.”
He pointed to concerns over algorithms determining “who is seen” or remains invisible, as well as digital platforms shaping public discourse without accountability.
“The world does not need an artificial intelligence that diminishes humanity,” Leo said.
“Only then will artificial intelligence become not a rival to humanity but a servant of the common good,” he added.
