Safeguarding the dignity of minors cannot be reduced to policies alone, but requires proper digital education,  Pope Leo XIV underscored when addressing participants in the “The Dignity of Children and Adolescents in the Age of Artificial Intelligence” Conference on Thursday in the Vatican.

Observing how artificial intelligence is transforming many aspects of our daily lives, including education, entertainment and the safety of minors, he said it "raises important ethical questions, especially concerning the protection of the dignity and wellbeing of minors."

The Pope warned that children and adolescents are particularly vulnerable to manipulation through AI algorithms that can influence their decisions and preferences.  It is essential that parents and educators be aware of these dynamics, and that tools be developed to monitor and guide young people’s interactions with technology.

"Governments and international organizations," the Pope stressed, "have a responsibility to design and implement policies that protect the dignity of minors in this era of AI," that he said "includes updating existing data protection laws to address new challenges posed by emerging technologies, and promoting ethical standards for the development and the use of AI."

Safeguarding cannot be reduced to policies

"Yet safeguarding the dignity of minors cannot be reduced to policies alone; it also requires a digital education," he stressed.

Pope Leo recalled the words of Pope Francis, who once remarked in a safeguarding project promoted by three major Catholic associations in Italy that adults must rediscover their vocation as “artisans of education...”

The Pope acknowledged how important it is to draft and enforce ethical guidelines, but stressed they are not enough.

"What is needed," he instead called for, "are daily, ongoing educational efforts, carried out by adults who themselves are trained and supported by networks of collaboration." 

The Pope said this process involves understanding the risks that both the use of AI and premature, unlimited and unsupervised digital access may pose to the relationships and development of young people.  

"Only by taking part in the discovery of such risks and the effects on their personal and social life," the Pope said, "can minors be supported in approaching the digital world as a means of strengthening their ability to make responsible choices for themselves and for others."

Must ensure AI serves as an ally and not a threat

The Holy Father suggested that this in itself is "a vital exercise in safeguarding human originality and connectedness, which must always be guided by respect for human dignity as a fundamental value."  

Only by taking an educational, ethical and responsible approach, he said, can we ensure that artificial intelligence serves as an ally, and not a threat, in the growth and development of children and adolescents.

Pope Leo concluded by expressing his wish that the conference help lay a solid foundation for our ongoing service to children, young people, and the entire ecclesial and civil community and by imparting God's blessing.