Pope Leo XIV called for artificial intelligence to be developed in ways that promote peace, protect human dignity and strengthen relationships rather than fuel division.

“In a world marked by conflict and division, the development of artificial intelligence calls for a vision inspired by wisdom and charity,” Leo said in a message to the AI4Peace conference at Rome’s Pontifical Lateran University. He urged developers to create systems that “serve the dignity of every person and strengthen the bonds that unite the human family.”

The conference brought together experts to examine how AI could be used in conflict prevention and resolution, human rights and global governance. Among the speakers were economist Jeffrey Sachs, Rome city council president Svetlana Celli, and Francisco Rojas Aravena, rector of the United Nations University for Peace in Costa Rica.

Artificial intelligence has become a recurring focus of Leo’s papacy. In his first major encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, released in May, the pope warned that AI could amplify misinformation, reinforce social divisions and make warfare more impersonal. He called for human beings to retain responsibility over AI systems, particularly when their use could affect human life.

Leo has also raised concerns about autonomous weapons and the possibility that AI could accelerate conflict. His latest message shifts the emphasis toward the potential for AI to contribute positively to peace, encouraging researchers and developers to explore how the technology can foster dialogue, reconciliation and solidarity.

Leo, the first U.S.-born pope, has made the ethical development of artificial intelligence one of the major themes of his 16-month-old pontificate. His message to the Rome conference comes as governments, technology companies and international organizations continue debating how AI should be developed and governed.