Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming everyday life, the economy, and culture at an unprecedented speed. Capable of processing vast amounts of data, mimicking human reasoning, learning, and making decisions, this technology is already part of our daily lives: from recommendations on Netflix and Amazon to medical diagnoses and virtual assistants.

But its impact goes far beyond convenience or productivity. Just as with the Industrial Revolution, the digital revolution raises social, ethical, and spiritual questions. The big question is:  How can we ensure that AI serves the common good without compromising human dignity?

A change of era

Pope Francis has described artificial intelligence as a true “epochal change,” and his successor, Pope Leo XIV, has emphasized both its enormous potential and its risks. There is even talk of a future encyclical entitled Rerum Digitalium, inspired by the historic Rerum Novarum of 1891, to offer moral guidance in the face of the “new things” of our time.

The Vatican insists that AI should not replace human work, but rather enhance it. It must be used prudently and wisely, always putting people at the centre. The risks of inequalities, misinformation, job losses, and military uses of this technology necessitate clear limits and global regulations.

The social doctrine of the Church and AI

The Church proposes applying the four fundamental principles of social doctrine to artificial intelligence  :

• Dignity of the person: the human being should never be treated as a means, but as an end in itself.

• Common good: AI must ensure that everyone has access to its benefits, without exclusions.

• Solidarity: Technological development must serve the most needy in particular.

• Subsidiarity: problems should be solved at the level closest to the people.

Added to this are the values ​​of truth, freedom, justice, and love , which guide any technological innovation towards authentic progress.

Opportunities and risks

Artificial intelligence already offers advances in medicine, education, science, and communication. It can help combat hunger, climate change, or even better convey the Gospel. However, it also poses risks:

• Massive job losses due to automation.

• Human relationships replaced by fictitious digital links.

• Threats to privacy and security.

• Use of AI in autonomous weapons or disinformation campaigns.

Therefore, the Church emphasizes that AI is not a person: it has no soul, consciousness, or the capacity to love. It is merely a tool, powerful but always dependent on the purposes assigned to it by humans.

A call to responsibility

The Antiqua et nova (2025) document   reminds us that all technological progress must contribute to human dignity and the common good. Responsibility lies not only with governments or businesses, but also with each of us, in how we use these tools in our daily lives.

Artificial intelligence can be an engine of progress, but it can never be a substitute for humankind. No machine can experience love, forgiveness, mercy, or faith. Only in God can perfect intelligence and true happiness be found.