Pope Leo XIV addressed the Vatican’s inaugural Mass for Catholic social media influencers, emphasizing the need to safeguard human dignity online amid the burgeoning rise of artificial intelligence (AI).
Speaking from St Peter’s Basilica, the Pope stated, “Nothing that comes from man and his creativity should be used to undermine the dignity of others.”
During his remarks at the Vatican’s Jubilee of Youth, a week-long event held every 25 years for young worshippers, he asserted that the rapidly evolving technology should be harnessed for the “benefit of all humanity.”
This address marks the latest in a series of pronouncements the Pope has made on the subject of AI since his election in May.
In Tuesday’s speech, the Pope urged the world to protect “our ability to listen and speak” in this “new era”.
“We have a duty to work together to develop a way of thinking, to develop a language, of our time, that gives voice to love,” the Pope declared.
He also called upon social media influencers to utilize their platforms to reach “those who suffer and need to know the Lord.”
“Be agents of communion, capable of breaking down the logic of division and polarisation, of individualism and egocentrism,” he added.
During his first Sunday address in May, Pope Leo XIV suggested that advancements in AI, among other technologies, underscore the Church’s vital role in defending human dignity and justice.
Pope Leo XIV, who studied mathematics at Villanova University in Philadelphia in 1977, is the first pontiff hailing from the United States.
Born in Chicago in 1955 to parents of Spanish and Franco-Italian heritage, Leo served as an altar boy and was ordained in 1982.
While he relocated to Peru three years later, he frequently returned to the US to serve as a priest and prior in his home city.
He holds Peruvian nationality and is remembered fondly as a figure who championed marginalized communities and fostered connection.
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