On 16 May 2026, the Rescriptum ex audientia Sanctissimi, dated 12 May, was made public. In it, Pope Leo XIV approved the establishment of an Interdicasterial Commission on Artificial Intelligence (AI).
As announced by the Holy See Press Office, the decision came after considering “the development in recent decades of the phenomenon of Artificial Intelligence and the most recent acceleration in its widespread use; its potential effects on human beings and on humanity as a whole, and the concern of the Church for the dignity of every human being, especially in relation to their integral development.” The new Commission thus concretely addresses further the challenges that AI poses to today’s society, challenges the Pontiff himself addressed in his first Encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas (MH), on safeguarding the human person in the time of artificial intelligence, published on 25 May 2026.
The Commission, as stated in the Rescript, will be coordinated for its first year by the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development (DPIHD). It is composed of representatives of DPIHD, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Dicastery for Culture and Education, the Dicastery for Communication, the Pontifical Academy for Life, the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences. In addition, representatives of the Secretariat of State, the Secretariat for the Economy, and the Governorate take part as Observers.
Moreover, as the Rescriptum indicates, “it is the responsibility of the coordinating institution to facilitate collaboration and the exchange of information amongst the members of the group regarding activities and projects concerning Artificial Intelligence, including policies on its use within the Holy See, promoting dialogue, communion and participation.”
Therefore, the Commission’s representatives will share updates on their respective work and research in the field of AI, maintain constant dialogue with experts in the sector, support local Churches in facing the challenges that AI poses to them, and be attentive to continual developments. It is designed to be a useful tool for putting into practice what the Holy Father says in Magnifica Humanitas regarding the ethical use of new technologies. It will also assist in keeping a watchful eye on the potential dangers of AI mentioned in MH and in ensuring that people’s rights are always protected.
The new Commission will offer concrete assistance in “the building of a civilization of love, where even new technologies can be oriented toward the common good,” as Pope Leo writes, so as to overcome the high “risk that technology, detached from ethics and responsibility, will render decisions about life and death more rapid and impersonal, and will present the use of force as an immediate and viable option.”
The Prefect of DPIHD, Sr. Alessandra Smerilli, FMA, has entrusted the mandate for coordinating the Commission to Cardinal Michael Czerny, S.J., Prefect Emeritus of the same Dicastery, who has led its work since its establishment.
The Commission can be contacted at info@vcai.va.