Pope Leo XIV addresses Papieska Akademii Nauk

Pope Leo XIV addressed members of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences during its plenary session on September 24, 2026. Speaking on the theme of the future of science in a changing world, the pope discussed how digitalization, artificial intelligence, and robotics are rapidly transforming society.

The pope noted that these technologies offer potential for scientific breakthroughs in medicine, food systems, energy, and space exploration. However, he warned that artificial intelligence could be used for surveillance, manipulation, and discrimination. He also cautioned that advanced cyber capabilities and autonomous weapons could create new risks if developed or used without human oversight and proper safeguards.