In his message of the 60th World Day of Social Communications, to be marked tomorrow May 17, 2026, the Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, bemoaned the irresponsible and unguided use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) by communicators, among other content creators, which in recent years has increasingly controlled the production of texts, music and videos, to the detriment of human creativity.
He called for the restoration of lost faces and voices to speak for people again, entreating all to cherish the gift of Communication as the deepest truth of humanity, to which all technological innovation should be oriented.
Mindful of the fact that individuals have always sought to acquire the fruits of knowledge without the effort required by commitment, research and personal responsibility, the Holy Father challenged each one to reflect not on what machines could or will be able to do, but on what they could and will be able to achieve, by growing in humanity and knowledge through the wise use of the powerful tools at their service.
He maintained that human beings renouncing their creativity and surrendering their mental capacities and imagination to machines, implies, burying their God-given talents which are supposed to help them grow as individuals in relation to God and others.
“It would mean hiding our faces and silencing our voices,” he conscientized.
Buttressing the need for human faces and voices to be preserved and restored as far as communication is concerned, Pope Leo underlined that technology that exploits the human need for relationships could lead not only to painful consequences in the lives of individuals, but also to damage in the social, cultural and political fabric of society, as they are robbed of the opportunity to encounter others, different from themselves, and with whom they must learn to relate.
Conscious of the fact that Artificial Intelligence could go as far as fabricating parallel “realities,” making it difficult for one to be able to distinguish reality from fiction in the contemporary world, His Holiness, urged all to always verify sources of information they access, to check disinformation, which could lead to a growing sense of mistrust, confusion and insecurity.
The Holy Father, in his message, did not kick against digital innovation or the use of AI, as it could provide support and assistance in managing communication-related tasks, but for individuals to be guided by its use and be aware of its ambivalent nature, and not let it take-over their thinking capacities, which could in the long run, lead to diminished cognitive, emotional and communication skills in them.
He called on all to raise their voices in defence of human persons, so that they could truly assimilate the AI tools as allies; an alliance which is possible, but which must be backed up by responsibility, cooperation and education.
Underlining responsibility to suggest honesty, transparency, courage, far-sightedness, the duty of sharing knowledge or the right to be informed, the Pope appealed to Media and Communication companies to ensure public trust, which is earned by accuracy and transparency. He recommended that content generated or manipulated by AI must be clearly marked and distinguished from content created by humans, and that the authorship and sovereign ownership of the work of journalists and other content creators must be protected.
Noting that information is a public good, Pope Leo maintained that a constructive and meaningful public service is not based on opacity, but on the transparency of sources, the inclusion of those involved and high quality standards.
He called for cooperation by all stakeholders, underscoring that no single sector can tackle the challenge of steering digital innovation and AI governance; Safeguards must be put in place.
“All stakeholders – from the tech industry to legislators, from creative companies to academia, from artists to journalists and educators, must be involved in building and implementing informed and responsible digital citizenship,” he buttressed.
Pope Leo advocated for education, aimed at increasing people’s personal ability to think critically; evaluate whether their sources are trustworthy and the possible interests behind selecting the information they have access to; to understand the psychological mechanisms involved; and to enable their families, communities and associations develop practical criteria for a healthier and more responsible culture of communication.
The Supreme Pontiff strongly recommended the urgent need for the introduction of media, information and AI literacy into education systems at all levels, as already promoted by some civil institutions.
He further encouraged all Catholics to contribute to this literacy effort, so that individuals, especially young people, could acquire critical thinking skills and grow in freedom of spirit. He recommended that the literacy should also be integrated into broader lifelong learning initiatives, reaching out to older adults and marginalized members of society, who often feel excluded and powerless in the face of rapid technological change.
The Pope upheld that Literacy will allow for better privacy and data protection through increased awareness of security parameters and complaint options.
“It is important to educate ourselves and others about how to use AI intentionally, and in this context, to protect our image (photos and audio), our face and our voice, to prevent them from being used in the creation of harmful content and behaviours such as digital fraud, cyberbullying and deep fakes, which violate people’s privacy and intimacy without their consent,” he recommended.
By Sr. Sylvie Lum Cho, MSHR (DEPSOCOM – Catholic Diocese of Donkorkrom)
