Pope creates artificial intelligence study group as Vatican prepares to release his first encyclical

Photo: Saint Peter’s Basilica (located within Vatican City) and Light Reflections. Photo credit: Lonni Besançon via Flickr. CC BY-SA 2.0. Article by Nicole Winfield. AP News – May 16, 2026.

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Leo XIV has created a study group on artificial intelligence, the Vatican said Saturday, as he gears up to release his first encyclical that is expected to emphasize the need for an ethics-based approach to the technology that prioritizes human dignity and peace. The Vatican said Leo had decided to create the in-house study group because of the acceleration in AI’s use, “its potential effects on human beings and on humanity as a whole (and) the church’s concern for the dignity of every human being.” […]

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