Pope Leo XIV Urges Ethical Use of AI in Healthcare to Protect Human Dignity

Vatican, November 18, 2025 — In a message to attendees of the 9th Seminar on Ethics in Health Management organised by the Pontifical Academy for Life in Rome, Pope Leo XIV highlighted the need for a clear ethical vision as healthcare systems integrate artificial intelligence (AI) and digital innovation. 

The Pope described the seminar — “in which reflection on the ethical value of our proposals becomes an important stage along the path that we, as society and as Church, are called to walk” — as a pilgrimage of hope, welcoming participants “as pilgrims of hope” who bring diverse expertise in the common task of caring for the sick. 

Addressing the challenge of technological bias, he warned against subtle forms of discrimination, noting “the possibility of bias… that falsifies or fraudulently excludes our perception of the reality of society and of the concrete patient”. He emphasised that powerful digital tools must not reduce persons “to objects, to data, to statistics”, based on treatment cost or illness type. 

Pope Leo XIV argued for a broader vision rooted in human dignity and the common good: technological developments must never supplant human relationships. “This broad vision must never be separated from human contact, from a gesture of care, from the recognition of the concrete person in his or her fragility and dignity,” he said. 

He concluded by calling for global collaboration in healthcare and technology, warning of the “vast economic interests… and the subsequent fight for control”. He encouraged all participants to unite ethical foresight with compassionate presence in their service.

Source and Image Credits : Vatican News