During a major Vatican meeting with scientists, engineers, and technology leaders, Pope Leo XIV warned that “artificial intelligence has no soul,” stressing that technological progress must never replace human conscience, compᴀssion, or moral responsibility.

The Pope addressed growing global concerns surrounding AI, including automation, misinformation, surveillance, autonomous weapons, and the concentration of technological power. While acknowledging the potential benefits of artificial intelligence in medicine, education, and communication, he cautioned against treating machines as subsтιтutes for human wisdom or dignity.

“Artificial intelligence can calculate, analyze, and imitate,” Pope Leo declared, “but it cannot love, suffer, forgive, or truly understand the value of a human life.” His remarks drew strong reactions from both religious and technology communities worldwide.

The meeting formed part of the Vatican’s expanding focus on digital ethics and the future of humanity in the age of advanced technology. Pope Leo emphasized that innovation must remain guided by ethical principles, transparency, and service to the common good rather than profit or control.

Observers described the address as one of the strongest moral interventions yet from the Vatican on AI development. The Pope concluded by urging governments, corporations, and researchers to ensure that technology always remains “at the service of humanity — never above it.”