SUN AUG 23 2026-theGBJournal| Pope Leo XIV has warned that the rapid development of artificial intelligence risks creating new forms of economic and technological dependence, weakening privacy, distorting public debate and placing human dignity beneath the demands of algorithms.
Addressing participants at the International Catholic Legislators Network meeting, the Pope said the central question facing governments was not simply what AI can do, but what society should allow it to do.
He urged lawmakers to regulate the technology without stifling innovation, arguing that AI policy should protect fundamental rights, privacy, transparency and democratic institutions while ensuring that technological progress benefits the wider public.
Leo warned that poorer countries could become increasingly dependent on wealthier nations for AI infrastructure and expertise, turning technological innovation into a new form of economic or ideological colonialism.
He also highlighted the growing power of algorithms and digital platforms to determine who is visible online, shape public discourse and influence people’s opportunities without sufficient accountability.
The Pope’s broader message was that AI should remain a tool under human control rather than become a system that determines human choices.
He called for strong laws, independent oversight and international cooperation to ensure that no single government, company or ideology determines the values embedded in AI systems.
In essence, Leo is arguing that the AI race cannot be judged only by speed, efficiency or commercial gains.
Its success should also be measured by whether it protects human freedom, dignity and equality.
“AI must never be allowed to erode” human relationships, he said, warning against technologies that reduce people to data, manipulate young minds or make workers subordinate to automated systems.
His message to legislators was therefore straightforward: regulate AI aggressively enough to protect people, but wisely enough to preserve innovation — and ensure that technology remains a servant of humanity, not its master.
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