New York, 23 September 2026
Madam Deputy Secretary-General,
Dear participants,
The Holy See wishes to sincerely thank Deputy Secretary General, Amina J. Mohammed, and the United Nations Office for Partnerships (UNOP) for convening this High-Level Meeting on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Human Development.
This meeting brings to New York a conversation that has traveled from Cairo to Mexico City, and from Xi’an to Rome, at the Pontifical Gregorian University. The fact that these discussions have been hosted in such different contexts, each with its own cultural or religious background, demonstrates the importance of basing the debate on AI on universal values, in order to ensure that its development and use conform to the essential purpose of integral human development. The Holy See is firmly committed to these conversations on AI, where the inviolable dignity of the human person is truly at stake.
The current age of change shows, with ever greater evidence, that developments in AI are opening up opportunities that until recently seemed unimaginable. These developments can indeed contribute to human development and the common good. This is already the case in fields such as medicine, agriculture, education and culture.
However, it is important, that they are never separated from the discernment related to the anthropological vision that guides them and the goals that they pursue. As Pope Leo XIV stresses, “if technological development advances without a corresponding ethical and social progress, the result may be an increase in means without a growth in humanity.”[1]
For instance, the world of work offers a relevant point of reference. While technology’s potential to spare human beings from repetitive or burdensome tasks should be acknowledged, it cannot come at the expense of the irreplaceable role of the human person. This is particularly pertinent at a time when technologies are advancing in unpredictable ways, making it difficult to fully assess their long-term impact on human dignity and the common good.
Thus, for the discernment to be fruitful, it is necessary to embrace the concept of limits, which may initially seem contrary to the very idea of progress. As Pope Leo XIV insists: “Calling for prudence, rigorous evaluation and even, at times, a slower pace in adopting AI does not mean opposing progress; instead, it is an exercise of responsible care for the human family. This need is all the more urgent given the frequent imbalance between the speed of technological growth and the slower development of awareness, norms, safeguards and institutions capable of governing its effects. It is not enough to invoke ethics in the abstract; robust legal frameworks, independent oversight, informed users and a political system that does not abdicate its responsibility are required.”[2]
The establishment of the Global Dialogue on AI Governance reflects the will of the international community to act responsibly by discussing, on an annual basis, the social, economic, ethical, cultural, linguistic and technical implications of AI, also based on evidence brought in by the Scientific Panel, with the view to developing international cooperation and best practices.[3]
Madam Deputy Secretary-General,
Distinguished participants,
In a context where digital networks and developments in AI are increasingly bound to the globalized economy, amplifying the effects of decisions made, there is a risk that those holding greater technical and economic resources may impose their own particular vision of reality.
It is therefore incumbent upon the international community to govern and orient this age of change so that the promotion of the God-given human dignity of every person, rather than technical or economic considerations, remains at the core of every decision that shapes technological progress in the years to come.
I thank you.
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[1] Pope Leo XIV, Encyclical Letter Magnifica Humanitas, 94.
[2] Ibidem, 106.
[3] Cf. A/RES/79/325, OP4.
