"Love is worth more than intelligence": Pope Francis to Paris AI Action Summit

Vatican Secretary for the Relations with States Archbishop Paul Gallagher was a guest speaker at the international meeting’s Feb. 10 discussion panel on the topic “Harnessing AI for the Future of Work.”   

In his message, the pope asked summit participants to have the “courage and determination” to defend humanity through their work. 

He stressed that global leaders should not use AI to impose “uniform anthropological, socioeconomic, and cultural models” that reduce reality to “numbers” and “predetermined categories.”

Describing AI as “a powerful tool” that can find innovative solutions to promote environmental sustainability, the Holy Father also warned of its potential to undermine human relationships and further disadvantage people living in developing nations.

“In this regard, I trust that the Paris summit will work for the creation of a platform of public interest on artificial intelligence,” the pope said, “so that every nation can find in artificial intelligence an instrument for its development and its fight against poverty but also for the protection of its local cultures and languages.”

More in Vatican

Pope Francis in “a clinical situation of stability”, Approves Three-year Synod on Synodality Implementation Process

Read the article

The pope concluded his message by repeating his call for a person-centered approach to the use of AI, saying: “Our ultimate challenge will always remain mankind. May we never lose sight of this!”

On Jan. 28, the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and the Dicastery for Culture and Education released Antiqua et Nova, a note outlining the Church’s position on the relationship between AI and human intelligence.

Kristina Millare is a freelance journalist with a professional communications background in the humanitarian aid and development sector, news journalism, entertainment marketing, politics and government, business and entrepreneurship.