The entire message of Pope Francis to President Emmanuel Macron

“Mr. President, Excellency, distinguished participants,

I learned your commendable initiative to hold a summit on artificial intelligence in Paris, on February 10 and 11, 2025. I knew that you, Mr. President, wanted to devote this summit to action on ‘artificial intelligence.

During our meeting, in Puglia, in the context of the G7, I had the opportunity to highlight the urgency of “guaranteeing and protecting a significant control space on the process of choosing programs of artificial intelligence “. I thought that without these mechanisms, artificial intelligence, although a new “fascinating” tool, could show its most “formidable” side, becoming a threat to human dignity.

I therefore congratulate myself on the efforts undertaken, with courage and determination, to start a political journey in the sense of the protection of humanity against the use of artificial intelligence “which limits the vision of the world to realities expressed in figures and Locked up in preconceived categories, ousting the contribution of other forms of truth and by imposing uniform anthropological, socio-economic and cultural models “; And from the fact that at the top of Paris, you wanted to involve the greatest number of actors and experts in a reflection that aims to produce concrete results.

In my latest encyclical letter Dilexit ourI wanted to distinguish the category of algorithms from that of the “heart”, the concept-key defended by the great philosopher and scientific Blaise Pascal, to which I devoted an apostolic letter on the occasion of the fourth anniversary of his birth (Sublimitas and Miseria Hominis2023), in order to emphasize that, if the algorithms can be used to deceive man, the “heart”, heard as the seat of the most intimate and true feelings, will never be able to deceive it.

To all those who will participate in the Paris summit, I ask not to forget that it is only the “heart” of man that the meaning of his existence comes from (Blaise Pascal, Thoughts). I ask to accept as axiomatic, the principle expressed so elegantly by another great French philosopher, Jacques Maritain: “Love is worth more than intelligence” (Jacques Maritain, Reflections on intelligence1938).

Your efforts, dear participants, are a brilliant example of a healthy politics that wants to register technological new features in a project aimed at the common good to “open the way to different opportunities that do not imply the creativity of the man and his dream of progress, but to channel this energy in a new way “(Laudato if ‘).

Artificial intelligence, I am convinced, can become a powerful tool for scientists and experts who are looking for innovative and creative solutions together in favor of the eco-durability of our planet. Without ignoring that the energy consumption associated with the functioning of the infrastructure of artificial intelligence is in itself highly consumer of energy.

Already in my message for World Peace Day 2024 devoted to artificial intelligence, I stressed that “in the debates on the regulations of artificial intelligence, it would be necessary to take into account the voice of all stakeholders, Including the poor, the marginalized and others who often remain ignored in the global decision -making processes “(Message for the 57th World Peace DayJanuary 1, 2024). In this perspective, I hope that the Paris Summit will advance for a public interest platform on artificial intelligence to be created; And so that each nation can find in artificial intelligence an instrument, on the one hand, of development and the fight against poverty, and on the other hand, the protection of local cultures and languages. It is only in this way that all the peoples of the earth will be able to contribute to the creation of data, which will be used by artificial intelligence, representing the true diversity and wealth that characterizes all of humanity.

This year, the dicastery for the doctrine of faith and the dicastery for culture and education worked together on a note on “artificial intelligence and human intelligence”. In this document, published on January 28, were examined several specific questions relating to artificial intelligence that the current summit is tackling and some others that are particularly concerned with me. In the future, I hope that the work of the next heights that should follow up on the present, will examine in more detail the social effects of artificial intelligence on human relations, on information and on education. The fundamental question, however, will remain and will always remain anthropological, namely: “If man, as a man” in the context of technological progress “will become really better, that is to say more mature spiritually, more aware of the dignity of his humanity.Redemptor Hominis). Our final challenge is man and will always remain man; Let’s never forget.

Thank you, Mr. President, and thank you all who worked during this summit.

Vatican, February 7, 2025 “