Pope renews alert against increasing dependence on algorithms and AI

“ O technological development, the spread of 'mass media' and social networks, the increasing use of artificial intelligence opens up new possibilities, breaking down barriers and distances", said during the weekly general audience in the Vatican.

The head of the Catholic church warned that “relationships tend to become less and less personal, more and more virtual.”.

“ There is a risk of getting used to delegating in algorithms decisions that only belong to human consciousness”, warned thousands of faithful gathered in the square of São Pedro, quoted by the French agency AFP.

The American Pope added that the contribution that Christians propose is “to ensure that social relations have a real thickness and personal depth”.

The concern around the AI has intensified in recent weeks due to several security incidents and the new propensity of artificial intelligence models to perfect themselves without human intervention.

The debate today also focuses on the industry's ability to self-regulate.

In the first great document of the pontificate, the encyclical “Magnifica Humanitas” (Magnificent Humanity), published in May, Leo XIV launched a strong appeal to what he described as AI disarmament to “prevent the master of the human being”.

In recent months, the Vatican has multiplied interventions and initiatives in favour of international governance of the AI based on human dignity, particularly in the fields of nuclear, culture and artistic creation.