Pope Leo XIV on Healthy Use of Technology & Artificial Intelligence

Pope Leo XIV on Healthy Use of
Technology & Artificial Intelligence

Pope Leo XIV: “Faith and Technology” via video link on 11/21/2025 to the National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC) held in Indianapolis, IN. invites young Catholics to grow in friendship with Jesus Christ, and to use technology healthily to deepen their faith, and avoid using political categories to speak about the Church.

Faith and technology

Answering a question about technology’s effects on faith, Pope Leo XIV upheld the usefulness of modern tools to connect people who are thousands of miles apart.

“Technology can help us do many things and even really help us live our Christian faith,” he said. “It also gives us amazing tools for prayer, reading the Bible, and learning more about what we believe.”

At the same time, the Pope noted that technology can never replace real, in-person relationships and participation in the Eucharist, inviting young Catholics to be intentional with their screen time and making sure that technology serves their lives, not the other way around.

Artificial intelligence, said Pope Leo, has become a defining feature of our times, pointing out that safety is not only about controlling the development of AI models but also about empowering people to make healthy decisions through education and personal responsibility.

Every tool should support our journey of faith and intellectual development, not hinder it, he said.

“Be careful that your use of AI does not limit your true human growth,” he said. “Use it in such a way that, if it disappeared tomorrow, you would still know how to think, create, and act on your own. Remember: AI can never replace the unique gift that you are to the world.”

Pope Leo XIV: Address — “Artificial Intelligence and Care of Our Common Home” | Friday, 5 December 2025

We are meeting on the occasion of the publication of your research on a very important topic. The advent of artificial intelligence is accompanied by rapid and profound changes in society, which affects essential dimensions of the human person, such as critical thinking, discernment, learning and interpersonal relationships.

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? This is an urgent question, because this technology is already having a real impact on the lives of millions of people, every day and in every part of the world. As the Social Doctrine of the Church reminds us, and as is clear from the interdisciplinary work you are doing, addressing this challenge requires asking an even more fundamental question: What does it mean to be human in this moment of history?

Human beings are called to be co-workers in the work of creation, not merely passive consumers of content generated by artificial technology. Our dignity lies in our ability to reflect, choose freely, love unconditionally and enter into authentic relationships with others. Artificial intelligence has certainly opened up new horizons for creativity, but it also raises serious concerns about its possible repercussions on humanity’s openness to truth and beauty, and capacity for wonder and contemplation. Recognizing and safeguarding what characterizes the human person and guarantees his or her balanced growth is essential for establishing an adequate framework for managing the consequences of artificial intelligence.

In this regard, we must pause and reflect with particular care upon the freedom and inner life of our children and young people, and the possible impact of technology on their intellectual and neurological development. The new generations must be helped, not hindered, on their path to maturity and responsibility. The well-being of society depends on their 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 ability to access vast amounts of data and information should not be confused with the ability to derive meaning and value from it. The latter requires a willingness to confront the mystery and core questions of our existence, even when these realities are often marginalized or ridiculed by the prevailing cultural and economic models. It will therefore be essential to teach young people to use these tools with their own intelligence, ensuring that they open themselves to the search for truth, a spiritual and fraternal life, broadening their dreams and the horizons of their decision making. 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.

In order to build a future together with our young people that achieves the common good and harnesses the potential of artificial intelligence, it is necessary to restore and strengthen their confidence in the human ability to guide the development of these technologies. It is a confidence that today is increasingly eroded by the paralyzing idea that its development follows an inevitable path. This requires coordinated and concerted action involving politics, institutions, businesses, finance, education, communication, citizens and religious communities. 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. Only through widespread participation that gives everyone the opportunity to be heard with respect, even the most humble, will it be possible to achieve these ambitious goals. In this context, the research carried out by Centesimus-SACRU represents a truly valuable contribution.

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