In a historical intervention at G7 in Puglia (the first by a pontiff at a similar summit), Pope Francis addressed one of the most crucial and challenging issues of our time: artificial intelligence. With words that are both profound and pragmatic, the Pontiff highlighted the enormous potential but also the risks of this revolutionary technology, which promises to radically transform society and our very concept of humanity.
A heartfelt warning to develop an AI ethic, to put it at the service of the common good and not let it become an instrument of power and inequality.
AI, a divine gift to be managed wisely
In his speech, the Pope defined artificial intelligence as a product of the creative potential given to us by God. A vision that places AI not as an alien or antithetical creation to humanity, but as a fruit of our abilities. Of our "techno-human attitude" which distinguishes us from other species and projects us beyond ourselves, towards furtherness and, ultimately, towards the divine.
But this gift, like all gifts, comes with great responsibility. AI, Pope Francis warned, is a "fascinating and terrible" tool precisely because of its disruptive ability to influence every aspect of our lives, to the point of redefining our very identity as human beings. A cognitive-industrial revolution that can lead both to a democratization of knowledge and an alleviation of human work, as well as to new forms of injustice and oppression between dominant and subordinate classes and nations.
Pope Francis: we need an AI ethic
Faced with this ambivalence, the Pope launched a heartfelt appeal to develop an ethics of AI, an "Algorethics" that guides this technology towards the common good. Because, as history teaches us, no innovation is neutral: it always arises for a purpose and incorporates the worldview of those who developed it.
Without an ethical compass, AI risks becoming an instrument of power that limits our vision of the world into pre-packaged categories, that erodes our freedom and dignity, that makes us dependent on the choices of machines. A particularly evident and urgent risk in the field of armed conflicts, where the Pope has called for a brake on autonomous weapons and human control so that no machine can decide to take the life of a human being.
The role of politics and economics
But who should develop and apply this AI ethic? Here the Pope forcefully recalled the role of politics and economics. Politics, "healthy politics" oriented towards great principles and the common good, must intervene to guide AI on the right tracks. He cannot let ideology and economics alone dictate the rules of the game.
And the economy, in turn, must be an ethical economy, at the service of man and not of mere profit. Only together, good politics and a just economy can channel the energy of AI towards the well-being of all, preventing it from becoming an instrument of inequality and domination.
That of Pope Francis is a universal appeal
Pope Francis' speech at the G7 is not just a message to the powerful of the Earth, but a universal appeal to all of us. Because AI, as the Pontiff underlined, questions us deeply, exposing the weaknesses of our ethos in an era of eclipse of human dignity.
It is a call to rediscover our humanity, to cultivate that ethical vision which alone can guarantee that AI is an instrument of progress and not of oppression. An immense but unavoidable challenge, which requires the commitment of everyone: scientists, politicians, economists, philosophers, theologians, citizens.
Because, as the Pope reminds us, technology is a trace of our furtherness, of our being projected beyond ourselves. But it is up to us to decide where we want to project ourselves: towards a future of dignity and brotherhood, or towards an abyss of inhumanity and injustice. AI will be what we decide to make of it. And this decision cannot be delegated to machines, but must remain firmly in our hands and in our consciences.
This is, after all, the heart of Pope Francis' message: an invitation to rediscover our humanity in the era of artificial intelligence. An invitation to cultivate that ethical wisdom which alone can transform this fascinating and terrible instrument into an opportunity for growth and liberation for all. The challenge is launched. It is up to us to collect it, with courage, responsibility and hope.
