Ahead of the publication of Magnifica Humanitas, Pope Leo XIV’s first encyclical focused on the role of AI, there has been an intensification in recent months of a web of meetings, informal mediations, and structured exchanges between the Holy See and the main players in the tech world.
As Politico writes, which dedicated a long article to these dialogues, what has emerged is a pragmatic, discreet but constant dialogue, in which companies like Meta, Google, Amazon, Anthropic, and OpenAI have sought to present themselves as responsible partners open to ethical discussion.
On its side, the Vatican has shown the intention to deeply understand this technology in order to morally guide it, placing human dignity and the common good at the center.
The encyclical, signed on May 15 and presented yesterday in the New Synod Hall by the Pope himself, now represents the public and mature fruit of this process.
The document, which explicitly recalls the legacy of Rerum Novarum by Leo XIII, strongly emphasizes the need to “disarm” artificial intelligence, freeing it from logics of domination, exclusion, and concentration of power, while recognizing its enormous potential when placed at the service of humanity, social justice, and the integral development of persons.
Direct dialogue with the Silicon Valley giants
One of the most representative appointments of this dialogue took place on April 29 at the Vatican.
Father Eric Salobir led a delegation composed of representatives from Meta, Google, and Amazon through St. Peter’s Square, up to a brief and formal greeting with Pope Leo XIV. The meeting with the Pontiff lasted a few minutes, but the real substantial discussion took place in the following hours at the French Embassy to the Holy See, where participants engaged for several hours in a private atmosphere.
Paolo Ruffini, prefect of the Dicastery for Communication, faced high-profile managers such as Benoit Tabaka, director of institutional relations and public policy for Google in Southern Europe, Claire Scharwatt of Amazon France, and Claudia Trivilino of Meta for Italy and Greece.
Although the event was formally dedicated to child protection in the AI era, the discussion quickly expanded to the deeper effects of technology on human sociability, on the affective and cognitive development of new generations, and the risks connected to communication that is always immediate, personalized, and devoid of the traditional human mediations that have always characterized interpersonal relationships.
One participant, who remained anonymous, described the tone as predominantly humanistic rather than strictly theological, noting how some tech executives seemed sincerely personally engaged, while others maintained a more institutional and cautious approach.
The French Observatory and Father Salobir’s network
A central role in these dialogues undoubtedly belongs to Father Eric Salobir, a multifaceted figure who before entering the Dominican order worked as an investment banker.
Today an expert consultant to the Holy See, Salobir chairs the executive committee of the Human Technology Foundation, an international organization that promotes ethical reflection on technology and counts among its members relevant companies such as Google, Palantir, and Qualcomm.
Thanks to close and fruitful collaboration with the French Embassy to the Holy See, Salobir contributed decisively to the creation, in 2024, of the “French AI Observatory in Rome.” This private forum has become one of the main and most effective channels to foster regular, informal, and high-level exchanges between Vatican representatives and technology sector leaders.
The meetings, started already during Pope Francis’ pontificate, became more frequent and substantial with the election of Leo XIV.
At the end of the April meeting, participants drafted a detailed summary note, subsequently sent to Clara Chappaz, French minister delegate for artificial intelligence and digital affairs, aiming to contribute to France’s positions ahead of the G7 on digital regulation.
The role and ties of Anthropic
Among the most consolidated and significant relationships is the one with Anthropic, the American company that has placed safety, ethics, and risk control at the center of its public identity.
Christopher Olah, one of the co-founders, participated yesterday in the official presentation of the encyclical sitting next to the Pope – a symbolic gesture of great significance that highlights the value attributed to this dialogue channel.
Already in January, Anthropic had made public a fundamental document: the ethical “constitution” intended to guide the development of its Claude model.
Among the contributors are two important advisors to the Holy See: Monsignor Paul Tighe, secretary of the Dicastery for Culture and Education, and Father Brendan McGuire, a Silicon Valley priest with a solid background as a computer engineer.
This non-episodic collaboration indicates a mutual willingness to build a common language between Catholic doctrine and technologies called to be increasingly responsible.
The American channel
Parallel to the French channel, the United States have also activated and maintained their own line of dialogue.
Despite public tensions between the Trump administration and Pope Leo XIV, in early May the American Embassy to the Vatican organized a series of thematic events on AI and the future of work, supported by allied embassies including Australia, the United Kingdom, Japan, and Taiwan.
Among the notable guests was George Osborne, former British Chancellor of the Exchequer and today head of institutional relations at OpenAI. Osborne had a direct dialogue with Monsignor Tighe on the “workers of the future,” focusing particularly on the risk that AI could exacerbate social and economic inequalities globally.
The goal of these events was twofold: to demonstrate to the Church the existence of ethical and responsible approaches within the tech industry and to keep open a communication channel even on delicate and potentially divisive topics.
Internal mediation figures within the Vatican
Figures like Tighe, McGuire, and Salobir have effectively acted as credible and respected bridges, allowing the Vatican to receive technical expertise, concrete data, and case studies from companies without ever losing its autonomy of moral judgment.
The dialogue saw tech companies bring operational perspectives, field experiences, and practical proposals, while the Holy See offered a profound anthropological vision, rooted in the Church’s social doctrine, centered on the centrality of the person, the promotion of social justice, and the protection of the most vulnerable, especially minors.
A dialogue destined to leave a mark
With the official publication of Magnifica Humanitas, this intense period of dialogue now enters a new phase.
The Pope personally presented the document, clearly reiterating that AI must be a tool in the service of all humanity and not a tool for concentration of power in the hands of a few private actors.
Sarah El Haïry, French high commissioner for childhood and participant in the April meeting, compared this text to the encyclical Rerum Novarum by Leo XIII, emphasizing how the impact could prove equally significant, providing a shared ethical framework capable of inspiring not only Catholic faithful but also governments, businesses, and international organizations in the future governance of AI.
Ultimately, Politico highlights, the portrait emerges of a Vatican that has faced the confrontation with those concretely developing AI with seriousness and awareness.
The Holy See has sought to assert its role as a moral authority in a field dominated by enormous economic interests and very rapid technological changes.
