This morning, in the Vatican Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father Leo XIV received in audience the members of the Institut International des Sciences Administratives.

The following is the address delivered by the Pope to those present during the meeting:

Address of the Holy Father

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Peace be with you.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Good morning, welcome and thank you for your patience this morning too!

I am very pleased to meet you at the close of your annual conference here in Rome: you, the members of the Institut International des Sciences Administratives, who have come from all over the world and of which the Holy See is also a member.

Your Institute, which was founded in 1930 in the wake of the great economic crisis that the world experienced, has as its mission to be “a constant appeal to the conscience of political authorities with a view to adapting social life to the ever-changing conditions of the times, so that it may fulfil the intentions and plans of the Creator’s Wisdom” (cf. Pius XII, Address to the participants at the Eighth International Congress of Administrative Sciences, 5 August 1950).

The theme of your Conference, which has just drawn to a close, issues a powerful appeal to our world today, in the digital age, so that we may maintain a balance in the use of digital technologies. This appeal echoes the one I made in my recent Encyclical on the protection of the human person in the age of Artificial Intelligence. Today, we cannot fail to face up to this reality, which closely affects our way of life and permeates every level of social life. The speed at which innovations in Artificial Intelligence are developing prompts us to ask whether it will be possible to control these machines in the future, and whether humankind runs the risk of becoming a victim of its own inventions. One of the serious problems facing us today is the fact that decisions concerning human life are being entrusted to machines.

Faced with this worrying situation, I applaud your meeting which aims to reaffirm the irreplaceable nature of human intelligence in the face of these technological tools. Your reflections and your work will be able to help leaders to make decisions in this field for the good of humanity. “Calling for prudence, rigorous evaluation and even, at times, a slower pace in adopting AI does not mean opposing progress; instead, it is an exercise of responsible care for the human family”(Magnifica humanitas, no. 106).

It is therefore important to establish an ethical framework to guide the use of these significant tools, which, unfortunately, are concentrated in the hands of major economic and technological players, and which the State struggles to regulate. We must ensure that the good of the human family is not sacrificed for the sake of private interests.

I encourage you to continue your research to find ways and means of making your contribution to public administration for the humanisation of digital technologies, so that they may serve life and peace. This is precisely what Pope Francis called us to do when he sounded the alarm regarding the responsible use of these technologies, saying: “We … have a duty to broaden our gaze and to direct techno-scientific research towards the pursuit of peace and the common good, in the service of the integral development of individuals and communities” (Message for the 57th World Day of Peace, 1 January 2024).

Dear members of the Institut International des Sciences Administratives, I know that your mission is not easy, and that at times you may be overcome by discouragement. I pray to the Almighty to sustain you, so that you may continue this noble task with determination. I invoke God’s abundant blessings upon you all. Thank you!