Pope Leo XIV has emphasized the importance of guiding young people as they navigate the rapid changes brought about by artificial intelligence and modern technology.
Speaking at the Conference “Artificial Intelligence and Care for Our Common Home” on December 5, 2025, he urged society to support youth on their path to maturity and responsibility rather than leaving them to face technological challenges alone.
“The ability to access vast amounts of data and information should not be confused with the ability to derive meaning and value from it,” the Pope said, pointing out that true understanding requires confronting deep questions about life, even when they are often overlooked or dismissed by society.
He added that the welfare of society relies on young people’s “ability to develop their talents and respond to the demands of the times and the needs of others, with generosity and freedom of mind.”
The conference, organized by the Centesimus Annus Pro Pontifice Foundation and the Strategic Alliance of Catholic Research Universities (SACRU), examined how artificial intelligence is affecting sectors such as education, finance, communications, and industry.
Encouraging responsible use of AI
Pope Leo urged leaders, educators, and communities to guide youth in using technology thoughtfully, encouraging them to seek truth and make well-informed decisions. “We support their desire to be different and better, because never before has it been so clear that a profound reversal of direction is needed in our idea of maturing,” he said.
He emphasized that for a future shaped with young people, it is essential “to restore and strengthen their confidence in the human ability to guide the development” of technologies like AI, instead of viewing them as unstoppable forces.
“This requires coordinated and concerted action involving politics, institutions, businesses, finance, education, communication, citizens and religious communities,” he noted.
“Actors from these areas are called upon to undertake a common commitment by assuming this joint responsibility. This commitment comes before any partisan interest or profit, which is increasingly concentrated in the hands of a few.”
The Pope called for broad involvement to achieve these objectives and thanked participants for their research contributions.
Humans as active creators
Acknowledging AI’s profound impact, Pope Leo said the technology influences millions daily and affects human thinking, learning, and relationships. He posed questions for reflection: “How can we ensure that the development of artificial intelligence truly serves the common good, and is not just used to accumulate wealth and power in the hands of a few?”
“As I’m sure you’re aware, the commodity that’s most valuable today on the markets is precisely in the area of artificial intelligence,” he explained. He also asked, “What does it mean to be human in this moment of history?”
He urged careful consideration of technology’s effects on children and young people, noting, “Human beings are called to be co-workers in the work of creation, not merely passive consumers of content generated by artificial technology.”
While AI opens new creative opportunities, the Pope warned it could limit humanity’s openness to truth, beauty, and wonder.
“Recognizing and safeguarding what characterizes the human person and guarantees his or her balanced growth,” he stressed, “is essential for establishing an adequate framework for managing the consequences of artificial intelligence.”
