Pope Leo XIV creates Vatican commission to tackle artificial intelligence challenges

Pope Leo XIV has approved the creation of an Interdicasterial Commission on Artificial Intelligence, marking the Vatican’s most coordinated response yet to the rapid advancement of AI technology. The decision, formalized in a rescript dated May 12 and released May 16, brings together seven Vatican departments to address AI’s “potential effects on human beings and on humanity as a whole.”

The move reflects growing concern within the Catholic Church about AI’s implications for human dignity and development. Cardinal Michael Czerny, Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, signed the rescript following a May 3 audience with the Pope. His department will coordinate the commission’s work for the first year.

The commission represents a significant institutional commitment from the Vatican to engage with AI governance. Seven major Vatican bodies will participate:

• Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development
• Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith
• Dicastery for Culture and Education
• Dicastery for Communication
• Pontifical Academy for Life
• Pontifical Academy of Sciences
• Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences

Each institution will take turns coordinating the commission for one-year renewable terms, with the Pope selecting the next leader. The coordinating body must “facilitate collaboration and the exchange of information among group members regarding activities and projects related to Artificial Intelligence, including policies on its use within the Holy See.”

This commission builds on previous Vatican AI initiatives. In January 2025, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and the Dicastery for Culture and Education published “Antiqua et Nova,” examining the relationship between artificial intelligence and human intelligence. The document explored theological and philosophical questions about AI’s role in human society.

The timing is significant as AI development accelerates globally. Major tech companies are racing to develop more powerful AI systems, while governments struggle to create appropriate regulations. The Vatican’s structured approach positions the Church as a moral voice in these debates, particularly regarding AI’s impact on employment, privacy, and human relationships.

Pope Leo XIV has made technology ethics a central theme of his pontificate. Just days after his election on May 10, 2025, he explained his papal name choice by referencing Pope Leo XIII, who addressed industrial revolution challenges in the encyclical “Rerum Novarum.” The current Pope noted that “the Church offers to everyone the treasury of her social teaching in response 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.”

The commission operates under Article 28 of the Apostolic Constitution “Praedicate Evangelium,” which allows dicastery heads to create special interdicasterial commissions for matters requiring “mutual and frequent consultation” across multiple Vatican departments. This legal framework ensures the body has proper authority to develop comprehensive AI policies for the Holy See.

The Vatican’s approach contrasts with secular AI governance efforts, which often focus primarily on economic competition and national security. By emphasizing human dignity and integral development, the Church aims to contribute a distinctive ethical perspective to global AI discussions. The commission’s work could influence Catholic institutions worldwide, from universities to hospitals, as they develop their own AI policies.