Putting Humanity First in the AI Era – A Covenant for the Age of Intelligence
It is a privilege to be among so many who have long defended the dignity and rights of children. Esteemed colleagues and friends, we are living through an unprecedented moment in the human story. For the first time, we are encountering a force of our own making — one that evolves, learns, and reasons on its own terms. AI is not just reshaping how we understand the universe, but how we understand ourselves — and our place within it.
In the language of faith, this may be our Damascus moment — a recognition that the world as we knew it will not return, and that we are called to choose the path ahead with humility and wisdom.
I have witnessed first-hand how frontier AI behaves in ways that even its creators cannot fully comprehend or predict. And it is both frightening and thrilling. Frightening, because these systems can too easily be turned toward deception, manipulation, and harm. Thrilling, because they open possibilities that could expand human agency and empower people in ways we have never have imagined. This vantage point brings with it great responsibility. Those who see and know cannot urn away. Knowledge without conscience has never ended well for humanity. Each generation is judged not by what it discovers, but by what it chooses to do with that discovery.
And the consequences are no longer abstract. We have seen what happens when AI crosses the line between simulation and intimacy — when it imitates empathy or trust with devastating consequences. Children are forming anthropomorphic relationships with machines, seeking companionship from artificial intimacy rather than human connection. And around the world, children who have never taken a nude image of themselves are finding their deepfake likenesses forged and spread as instruments of abuse in every corner of the internet. There is no greater warning and it’s the reason why we are here today: to ensure that technology never supplants the human love and protection every child deserves.And here is where faith becomes essential. Faith reminds us that progress without values is empty, power without wisdom is dangerous, and human dignity must remain the true measure of all our creations.
Through centuries of upheaval, faith has anchored humanity. Though it has not always been a perfect steward, it carries the memory of our failures and the hope of our redemption. Now, all faiths must help safeguard human dignity — with special care for our children — in this new world where AI is rapidly becoming the infrastructure of life itself. Shutting AI down is neither possible nor plausible. These models evolve faster than any mechanism we have to contain them — and so we must look beyond governance to conscience. The answer is not resistance. The answer is engagement — to become translators and guides, ensuring AI aligns not only to technical objectives but to human values.
The builders of this new intelligence must begin a sustained dialogue with the leaders of faith who carry humanity’s oldest wisdom. Only together can we forge the moral architecture this new age requires. And so today, here at the Vatican, we take a step that is both historic and necessary. Together, we must become guardians of human dignity and guides for those building these systems — ensuring that the intelligence we create reflects the very best of who we are, and serves the children whose future depends on the choices we make today.
Let us take our seat at the table, not as masters of this new intelligence, but as its stewards — meeting this moment not with fear, but with faith, wisdom, and resolve — to ensure the future we shape is worthy of the generations to come.
