Is Artificial Intelligence good or bad? A new Vatican document on using AI responsibly

Julian Paparella

Monday, March 24, 2025

Various digital octagonal images emerging upwards from a pair of hands cupped together.

Pexels photo.

AI is an increasingly hot topic of conversation on the news and in global politics. So what are the Church’s views on artificial intelligence? How are we supposed to think of the rapidly expanding field of AI as Christians in the world today?

In January 2025, the Vatican Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith released a document called Antiqua et nova, which is Latin for “ancient and new.”

The document is a Note on the Relationship between Artificial Intelligence and Human Intelligence. It begins by affirming that the Church encourages the development of science, technology, and other forms of human ingenuity. It reminds us that our human abilities and creativity are a gift from God. When we put them to good use, we reflect God’s wisdom, and collaborate with God in the work of creation.

The document reminds us that like any human invention, “AI can be directed toward positive or negative ends” (#40). It can be used in ways that respect and promote the well-being of human beings and the common good of society. Here, the document underlines the fundamental principle of moral responsibility that we have as human beings, to always use technology in a way that is ordered towards the good of real people and not against them.

This responsibility lies first and foremost with those who create, design, and manage AI systems, from chatbots and robots to self-driving cars and automated drones. But the responsibility also extends to those of us who use AI in its various forms. It is up to us to use technology in an ethical way. We are not powerless amidst the ocean of technology that surrounds us. We have a choice in how we use technology, and how we inform ourselves about the effects that it has – not only on ourselves but also on others.

In this sense, it is important to ensure that AI is not used in a way that does not rob us of our agency as human beings. The purpose of AI can never be to replace humanity with robots, or to make human interests subservient to what algorithms and machines tell us is best.

There are many implications of AI that will require careful reflection and effective safeguards in the years to come. The document highlights the need to defend the truth against the threat of misinformation, manipulation, and deepfakes. There is also the need to protect privacy, to avoid ending up in a “big brother” state where everything we do is constantly under surveillance. Putting AI at the service of humanity also means paying attention to how it affects our economy and the labour market, ensuring that people have work and don’t end up stranded in joblessness. It is also important to avoid the proliferation of AI in warfare, so that it is not abused as a weapon to carry out atrocities.

While AI may imitate the human intelligence that designed it, it can never replace who we are as human beings and the role that God has given us in the universe. Nor can any technology ever pretend to take the place of God, who works with us at the service of what is good and true.