As Artificial Intelligence (AI) continues to rise in the world, Pope Leo XIV says a question is being asked “What does it mean to be human in this moment of history?”

“How can we ensure that the development of artificial intelligence truly serves the common good, and is not just used to accumulate wealth and power in the hands of a few?” Leo asked.

“This is an urgent question, because this technology is already having a real impact on the lives of millions of people, every day and in every part of the world,” the pope said.

The was speaking on Dec. 5 to members of Centesimus Annus Pro Pontifice Foundation and the Strategic Alliance of Catholic Research University about the Conference called “Artificial Intelligence and Care of Our Common Home.”

A new report released on Tuesday by the United Nations Development Program has warned that the gains from AI are likely to be only for wealthy nations unless there is an effort to make sure the developing world is given a chance to benefit from the new technology.

“Like steam power, electricity, or the internet, it is a transformative general-purpose technology with extraordinary promise but also profound risks for development,” the report says.

“What is at stake is nothing less than whether AI becomes a bridge to inclusion or the engine of a new Great Divergence: A phase in which countries and communities already ahead accelerate further, while those with weaker infrastructure, skills, and institutions fall even further behind,” the UN office adds.

It says geography separates capitals with fiber backbones from rural districts with patchy signal; income divides formal from informal workers; gender gaps persist in access, control, and safety online; dominant languages are richly modeled while indigenous and low-resource languages scarcely register.

“If AI adoption follows these fault lines, the Great Divergence will not be a metaphor but a map: a well-connected city compounding advantages through AI-enabled services and productivity gains; a remote province excluded from basic digital rails, priced out of compute, and invisible in training data,” the report says.

However, the UN adds that if used “wisely and inclusively,” AI can push the other  way by removing long-standing barriers to human development and closing capability gaps.

Since his election, Pope Leo has spoken about the changes to society caused by AI, and says he chose his name partly because Pope Leo XIII served during the industrial revolution in the late 19^th century.

On Friday, Leo said human beings are called to be co-workers in the work of creation, not merely passive consumers of content generated by artificial technology.

“Our dignity lies in our ability to reflect, choose freely, love unconditionally and enter into authentic relationships with others,” the pope said.

“Artificial intelligence has certainly opened up new horizons for creativity, but it also raises serious concerns about its possible repercussions on humanity’s openness to truth and beauty, and capacity for wonder and contemplation,” he continued.

“Recognizing and safeguarding what characterizes the human person and guarantees his or her balanced growth is essential for establishing an adequate framework for managing the consequences of artificial intelligence,” Leo said.

He added that in this regard, the world must “pause and reflect with particular care” about the freedom and inner life of children and young people, and the possible impact of technology on their intellectual and neurological development.

“The new generations must be helped, not hindered, on their path to maturity and responsibility.  The well-being of society depends on their ability to develop their talents and respond to the demands of the times and the needs of others, with generosity and freedom of mind.  The ability to access vast amounts of data and information should not be confused with the ability to derive meaning and value from it,” the pope said.

He said it will be essential to teach young people to use these tools with their own intelligence, “ensuring that they open themselves to the search for truth, a spiritual and fraternal life, broadening their dreams and the horizons of their decision making.”

“We support their desire to be different and better, because never before has it been so clear that a profound reversal of direction is needed in our idea of maturing,” Pope Leo said.

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