The Vatican hosted a two-day conference bringing together 50 global experts to explore how artificial intelligence can advance peace, social justice, and human development. The event launched the Latin American AI Network for Integral Human Development and established principles for ethical AI governance that prioritize human dignity over technological advancement.
What you should know: The Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, the Vatican’s research body for social issues, organized the “Digital Rerum Novarum” conference on October 16-17, combining academic research with practical AI applications.
- Participants included leading experts from MIT, Microsoft, Columbia University, the UN, and major European institutions.
- The conference emphasized stopping the “AI arms race” and called for global regulatory frameworks with binding enforcement mechanisms.
- Discussions focused on ensuring AI serves the “cry of the poor” and promotes inclusive development policies.
Key outcome: The conference established the AI Knowledge Network for Integral Human Development in Latin America, comprising participating institutions and experts.
- The network operates under the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences with contributions from the University of Massachusetts, University of Notre Dame, UN Development Programme, and other major institutions.
- It will hold regular meetings to exchange knowledge, assess implementation challenges, and encourage regional participation.
- The guiding principle states that “the most innovative machines should serve people, and not the other way around.”
Major themes discussed: Environmental sustainability emerged as a critical concern, with emphasis on reducing data center energy consumption and developing AI infrastructure consistent with sustainable industrial models.
- The future of work was examined through “technological social justice,” calling for cooperation between workers, employers, scientists, and governments.
- Proposals included universal basic income, universal basic capital, and strategies treating technological progress as a global public good.
- Participants stressed the need to overcome monopolistic concentration in AI markets through transparency and institutional innovation.
Human rights focus: The conference highlighted the importance of protecting fundamental rights in the digital era, including the development of “neuro-rights” to safeguard individuals from invasive technologies.
- Participants reaffirmed that humans must retain final authority in fundamental decisions about AI use and governance.
- Discussions addressed ethical data management respecting privacy and cultural diversity.
- The need for equitable access to computing power, connectivity, and electricity was emphasized.
What they’re saying: Cardinal Peter Turkson, Chancellor of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, and Sister Helen Alford, the Academy’s President, opened the seminar by emphasizing AI’s connection to peace and development.
- Academy members Gustavo Beliz and Paolo Carozza stressed the need for “multidisciplinary dialogue that transcends technocratic approaches.”
- They called for “proactive measures that ensure the positive, cooperative, and inclusive integration of AI in the service of integral human development.”
Why this matters: The Vatican’s entry into AI governance discussions represents a significant moral voice in global technology debates, particularly as AI regulation efforts seek unified international frameworks that balance innovation with human welfare.
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