The seminar highlighted the risks of monopolistic control in the AI market, advocating for transparency and innovative business models to drive social benefit.
Newsroom (17/10/2025,Gaudium Press ) Under the theme “Digital Rerum Novarum: Artificial Intelligence for Peace, Social Justice, and Integral Human Development,” the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences (PASS) convened 50 global experts at the Casina Pio IV on October 16–17 to advance the ethical and human-centered use of artificial intelligence (AI), one of the most transformative technologies of our time. The seminar launched the Latin American AI Network for Integral Human Development, a collaborative initiative to integrate AI with inclusive, sustainable policies inspired by integral ecology and a commitment to addressing “the cry of the poor.”
The event, organized in partnership with the University of Notre Dame, blended academic research with practical case studies, fostering dialogue among scholars, policymakers, and technologists. Cardinal Peter Turkson, PASS Chancellor, opened the seminar, highlighting the Academy’s ongoing work in ethical AI governance. Sister Helen Alford, PASS President, emphasized AI’s intrinsic link to peace and development, while Monsignor Paul Tighe, Secretary of the Dicastery for Culture and Education, moderated discussions on the future of work.
Participants, including leading experts like David Autor (MIT), Jaron Lanier (Microsoft), and Jeffrey Sachs (Columbia University), called for a halt to the AI arms race, echoing Pope Leo XIV’s plea for the “audacity of disarmament.” They urged the creation of a binding global AI regulatory framework, supported by institutions suited to the digital age, to ensure enforcement and accountability. The seminar stressed the need to think “outside the opaque box of algorithms,” prioritizing the voices of the vulnerable and addressing social challenges like environmental sustainability. Key concerns included reducing data centers’ energy consumption, developing AI infrastructure aligned with new industrial models, and fostering regional cooperation, particularly in less developed nations.
The future of work emerged as a critical focus, with calls for collaboration among workers, employers, scientists, and governments to equitably distribute AI’s benefits. Proposals included universal basic income, universal basic capital, and strategies to treat technological progress as a global public good. Ethical data management, respect for privacy and cultural diversity, access to computing power, cybersecurity, and workforce skill development were also central themes.
The seminar highlighted the risks of monopolistic control in the AI market, advocating for transparency and innovative business models to drive social benefit. Discussions underscored the need for AI to support industrial policies that prioritize human work and social cohesion. A notable focus was the development of “neuro rights” to protect individuals from risks posed by invasive technologies interacting with the human mind. Participants reaffirmed that humans must retain ultimate authority over AI’s use and governance.
A key outcome was the establishment of the AI Knowledge Network for Integral Human Development in Latin America, operating under PASS’s auspices. The Network includes institutions such as the University of Massachusetts, the University of Buenos Aires’ AI Laboratory, the Getulio Vargas Foundation, and the United Nations Development Programme. It aims to strengthen Latin America’s role in global AI initiatives, fostering collaboration on ethical and inclusive AI development through regular knowledge-sharing and regional engagement.
Speakers like Gustavo Beliz and Paolo Carozza of PASS emphasized multidisciplinary dialogue to move beyond technocratic approaches and ensure AI serves integral human development. The seminar concluded with a unified call for AI to serve humanity, guided by the principle that “the most innovative machines should serve people, and not the other way around.”
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Vatican News
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