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The Pope and Artificial Intelligence

AI summary of Alpo Penttinen’s article.

The papacy is rarely associated with cutting-edge technology, but this may change under the leadership of the new Bishop of Rome, Pope Leo XIV. In his first public statement after the conclave, Pope Leo explained that his chosen name refers primarily to Pope Leo XIII (reigned 1878–1903), who, through the 1891 encyclical Rerum novarum, inaugurated the Church’s tradition of modern social teaching in response to the industrial revolution.

By 1870, the Church had lost its remaining temporal power when the Papal States were annexed into the newly unified Italian kingdom. Leo XIII, rather than lamenting this loss, understood that the Church’s relevance in the modern world would no longer come from political authority but from its spiritual and intellectual legacy — the accumulated wisdom of two millennia, which it is tasked with transmitting to modern humanity, especially to those most vulnerable in the new world order.

If the 19th-century industrial revolution relied on fossil fuels and mechanical technology, the digital revolution since the late 20th century has centered on the spread of computing power across all areas of life. As the internet, smartphones, and now artificial intelligence enter every facet of human activity, the scope of digital automation has grown dramatically. Today, it is difficult to imagine a world without constant digital connectivity.

In this historical moment, Robert Francis Prevost, an American cardinal with a background in mathematics, assumed the Petrine ministry on 8 May 2025. The brevity of the conclave suggests the cardinals were unified in their choice. Prevost was likely seen as a figure capable of building bridges, both within the Church and with the outside world. As an Augustinian friar, he draws deeply from the Latin theological tradition, especially from St. Augustine, one of the Church’s greatest thinkers. Yet he also wishes to meet contemporary challenges with courage, and among these, artificial intelligence is undoubtedly one of the most pressing.

Pope Francis had already taken strong positions on the ethical use of AI, especially in condemning its application to military technology. One of his final initiatives was the January 2025 Vatican document Antiqua et nova, which explores the relationship between artificial and human intelligence. Addressed to parents, teachers, priests, and bishops — those tasked with handing on the faith — the document has attracted interest even beyond the Church. It has been praised as one of the most insightful social-ethical texts written on AI to date.

The core message of Antiqua et nova is that artificial intelligence, while powerful, is not a form of intelligence comparable to the human mind. It is a product of human rationality but of a fundamentally different order. The third chapter of the document reflects on the richness of human intelligence, drawing on the Church’s anthropological tradition. Human intelligence is not merely computational or utilitarian; it is bodily, relational, and contemplative. Drawing on St. Thomas Aquinas, the document distinguishes between ratio, which resembles the logical functions of AI, and intellectus, the contemplative gaze of the soul upon truth, goodness, and beauty. Where AI operates in a closed digital environment, the human intellect is attuned to objective reality as it truly is.

This view carries ethical implications. Since human intelligence connects us to the real, material world and to one another, it always entails responsibility. According to Scripture, humanity is placed in the world “to till and to keep it” (Genesis 2:15). The Church does not reject scientific and technological advancement but upholds the human person as made in the image of God, called to participate in God’s creative and sustaining work. AI is a remarkable fruit of human intelligence, capable of much good — but also of serious harm.

Rather than offering technical solutions, the Church seeks to provide ethical principles rooted in its spiritual tradition. Pope Leo XIV puts it this way: “In our time, the Church offers the treasure of her social teaching as a response to the new industrial revolution and the development of artificial intelligence, which poses new challenges to human dignity, justice, and the nature of work.”

The fifth section of Antiqua et nova addresses concrete ethical concerns related to AI. A consistent theme is that AI must remain under human control and must always respect the infinite dignity of every person. While AI may bring great benefits to society, the economy, healthcare, and education, its implementation must be transparent, critically examined, and governed by shared ethical standards. The document specifically warns against the dangers of disinformation, surveillance, and deepfakes, which can distort truth and erode civil liberties.

The Church’s social teaching consistently seeks to defend the human person against the dehumanizing forces of modernity. The accelerating pace of modern societies, driven by technology, has detached us from the natural rhythm of life. In many ways, AI represents the extreme edge of this development. Language models can respond to human input instantly, using vast databases to produce increasingly refined outputs. And yet the underlying mechanism remains a transactional logic: “I give so that you give” (do ut des). This ancient logic of exchange risks replacing deeper human and divine relationships with mere utility.

Christian teaching warns us not to fall too far into this way of thinking. Our relationship with God is not a bargain — I give something to God so He gives something back. Rather, God gives freely, out of superabundant love, not necessity. To experience this love frees us from the transactional logic of the world and allows us to use even AI in a wise and truly human way. As St. Augustine expressed it: frui et uti — we are to enjoy God and use the world’s goods rightly.

This insight is especially important in teaching the faith. The temptation to rely on machines to summarize doctrine can lead to a loss of spiritual depth. Even hesitant or searching human speech can be more powerful than a flawless but soulless response. As Finnish aphorist Janne Tompuri put it: “I’m not afraid that a machine will learn to think like me, but that I will learn to think like a machine.”

Christianity is, above all, a historical religion — not a collection of abstract ideas, but the journey of God’s people through time, awaiting the Lord’s return in glory. The Church is on the right path when it remains rooted in apostolic tradition and boldly proclaims the Gospel to those who need it most — the poor and the marginalized. With hope and prayer, we now follow the new Bishop of Rome as he shepherds the global Church through this decisive moment in human history.

KATT (Alpo Penttinen)

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