Statement of H.E. Archbishop Ettore Balestrero, Apostolic Nuncio and Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations and Other International Organizations in Geneva, Head of Delegation of the Holy See at the Global Dialogue on AI Governance
Geneva, 7 July 2026
Mr. Secretary-General,
Madam President of the UN General Assembly,
Co-Chairs of the Global Dialogue on AI Governance,
Excellencies,
His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, in presenting his first Encyclical Letter “Magnifica Humanitas”, underscored the commitment of the Holy See to be actively engaged in the conversation on Artificial Intelligence (AI) in light of the inviolable dignity of every human being.
In this spirit, my Delegation welcomes the convening of this first Global Dialogue as a platform to “[…] facilitate open, transparent and inclusive discussions on AI governance”.[1] With each passing day, it becomes ever more evident that we are living through an epochal transformation that touches every sphere of life. Such a profound change requires a political response that is commensurate with its magnitude.
The necessity for robust governance does not mean placing limits on AI as obstacles for their own sake. Rather, it is a prerequisite for ensuring that technological progress is meaningfully oriented towards a broader horizon, at the service of all humanity, while respecting the inalienable God-given dignity of all persons and the common good.
Good governance requires the responsible use of AI, in a way that does not involve outsourcing or surrendering responsibility to an algorithm. Therefore, every critical choice made by an automated system must be subject to human oversight. Furthermore, speed and efficiency should never be used as excuses when the outcome may have an impact on human lives. Indeed, since full moral causality belongs only to personal agents and not to artificial ones, if AI is to be used to uphold human dignity and truly serve the common good, responsibility for its use must remain with human decision-makers, with accountability maintained at every stage.[2]
Given the opacity of automated decision-making, governance also requires that AI be used transparently and that the chain of accountability tracing responsibility from developers to deployers at every AI lifecycle stage is ensured. As Pope Leo XIV emphasized, “this is where accountability becomes crucial: the possibility of identifying who must ’account’ for decisions, justify them, monitor them, and, when necessary, challenge them and remedy any harm caused.”[3]
It is also crucial to develop forms of cooperation that respect the various levels of the global community, but also enable a shared discernment in the elaboration of common frameworks and finally ensure joint responsibility for the common good.[4] In this regard, the concentration of technology in the hands of a few powerful corporations could greatly amplify its negative impact, particularly in a context characterized by an obvious lack of ethical frameworks and of institutions capable of addressing such challenges.[5]
In conclusion, the Holy See Delegation assures you of its readiness to engage in a constructive dialogue, in order to safeguard the dignity of the human person in the age of AI.
Thank you.