Pope Leo XIV Emphasizes Technology Must Serve Humanity, Not Replace It, in Message for 60th World Day of Social Communications
Vatican City, January 24, 2026 – In his message for the 60th World Day of Social Communications, scheduled for May 17, 2026, Pope Leo XIV compellingly underscored the imperative that technological innovation, particularly artificial intelligence (AI), must serve the human person rather than supplant or undermine human dignity. Speaking to a world increasingly shaped by digital transformation, the Pope called for renewed attention to the profound human values that underpin genuine communication and relationships.
The Human Face and Voice: Cornerstones of Identity
Pope Leo XIV began by reflecting on the unique nature of every human face and voice—the fundamental elements forming human identity and interpersonal bonds. He highlighted that the human person is “created in the image and likeness of God” and called into relationship through the Word. Consequently, “preserving human faces and voices means preserving the divine imprint present in each person,” a testament to the irreplaceable vocation and dignity endowed to every individual.
“We are not a species composed of predefined biochemical formulas,” the Pope wrote, emphasizing that each person’s distinct experience becomes evident through interaction with others. This divine mark renders technology’s task clear: it should enhance rather than substitute true human presence and connection.
The Anthropological Challenge Posed by Digital Technologies
Turning to the impact of modern digital advancements, especially AI systems capable of simulating voices, facial expressions, and emotions, Pope Leo noted these technologies present a fundamental anthropological challenge. The risk, he explained, lies not chiefly in the technologies themselves but in how they might alter essential dimensions of human communication and identity.
He expressed concern over social media algorithms designed to prioritize swift emotional reactions, which can hamper critical reflection, degrade analytical skills, and fortify social polarization by clustering people into echo chambers of “easy consensus and easy outrage.” This dynamic, he observed, diminishes the capacity for genuine dialogue and deepens societal divides.
Furthermore, the Pope cautioned that increasing reliance on AI for information, creative expression, and decision-making could erode imagination, critical thinking, and personal responsibility, ultimately threatening the authenticity of human agency.
Navigating Reality, Simulation, and Their Social Consequences
Pope Leo XIV drew attention to the blurred boundaries between reality and simulation in digital spaces, where automated agents, chatbots, and AI-driven content can subtly influence public discourse, shape emotional responses, and steer personal and communal choices. He warned these phenomena have broad social and cultural implications, extending beyond individuals to impact the collective fabric.
A Call for Responsibility, Cooperation, and Education
In light of these challenges, the Pope identified three pivotal pillars: responsibility, cooperation, and education. He called upon developers of technology, political leaders, media professionals, and educators alike to work together to promote transparency, safeguard human dignity, and uphold the integrity of information.
“The task laid before us is not to stop digital innovation, but rather to guide it and be aware of its ambivalent nature,” he stated. He urged all stakeholders—from tech industries and legislators to artists, academics, journalists, and educators—to engage collaboratively in shaping “informed and responsible digital citizenship.”
Promoting Media Literacy and Digital Awareness
Emphasizing the indispensable role of education, Pope Leo stressed the importance of media, information, and AI literacy for fostering critical awareness and protecting personal identity amid complex digital environments. Analogizing to the industrial revolution’s demand for basic literacy, he asserted the digital age requires comprehensive digital literacy combined with humanistic and cultural education.
This education should illuminate how algorithms influence perceptions of reality, how AI biases operate, how content reaches users, and how economic models of the AI economy function and evolve.
Upholding the Gift of Communication as the Deepest Truth of Humanity
Concluding his message, Pope Leo XIV reiterated the vital need to reclaim the human dimension of communication through renewed care for the face and voice, which anchor authentic interpersonal relationships. “We need faces and voices to speak for people again,” he affirmed, calling for all technological innovation to be oriented “to the service of the human person.”
He invited people worldwide to cherish communication as a precious human gift and to actively defend the irreplaceable value of human presence in an era marked by extraordinary technological change.
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Reported by Vatican News, January 24, 2026
