Vatican forms AI commission to address ethical challenges

The decision was confirmed in a rescript dated May 12 and released on May 16. The document was signed by Cardinal Michael Czerny, Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development.

According to the text, the new body was established in light of “the development in recent decades of the phenomenon of Artificial Intelligence and the most recent accelerations in its widespread use” as well as its “potential effects on human beings and on humanity as a whole.”

The document also highlights the Church’s concern for “the dignity of every human person, especially in relation to their integral development.”

The commission will initially be coordinated by the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development and will include representatives from seven Vatican institutions, among them the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Dicastery for Communication, and the Pontifical Academy of Sciences.

The coordinating institution will oversee cooperation and information exchange on AI-related projects and policies within the Holy See.

Artificial intelligence has become a key theme during the pontificate of Pope Leo XIV. Speaking shortly after his election in May 2025, the pontiff said the Church seeks to respond to “another industrial revolution and to developments in the field of artificial intelligence that pose new challenges for the defence of human dignity, justice and labour.”

Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that Pope Leo XIV had urged priests not to rely on artificial intelligence to write their homilies or seek popularity through social media platforms such as TikTok, stressing the importance of authenticity in pastoral ministry.