---
title: "The Pope Is Praying for AI That Serves Humanity"
description: "In a video missive, Pope Franics urged Catholics to pray that AI developers build tools that help humanity rather than exploit it."
date: "2020-11-11"
modified: "2020-11-11"
authors:
  - name: "Dan Robitzski"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/danrobitzski"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/pope-praying-ai-serves-humanity"
categories:
  - "Artificial Intelligence"
tags:
  - "artificial intelligence"
  - "pope"
  - "the digest"
---

# The Pope Is Praying for AI That Serves Humanity

![In a video missive, Pope Franics urged Catholics to pray that AI developers build tools that help humanity rather than exploit it.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/pope-praying-ai-serves-humanity.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: Image via Pixabay/Victor Tangermann\</em\>*

## Divine Intervention

Earlier this month, Pope Francis put out a call for Catholics to pray that future developments in artificial intelligence and robotics are made with the good of humanity in mind.

The pope has [put out similar messages](<https://www.vox.com/recode/2020/2/28/21157760/pope-vatican-artificial-intelligence>) in the past — calling on technologists to build AI that improves modern society rather than exacerbating its inequalities. But now, *[The Verge ](<https://www.theverge.com/2020/11/11/21560076/pope-francis-ai-for-good-pray-serve-mankind>)*[reports](<https://www.theverge.com/2020/11/11/21560076/pope-francis-ai-for-good-pray-serve-mankind>), he's specifically urging Catholics to pray for AI that will "always serve mankind."

## "Epochal Change"

In a [video missive](<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYkwVRteZTI>), Pope Francis says that new developments in artificial intelligence are "at the heart of the epochal change we are experiencing." He sees the technology as — potentially — a powerful tool to improve our lives, but also one that [could make life worse](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/pope-ai-humanity-barbarism>) if misused.

"Indeed, if technological progress increases inequalities, it is not true progress," the pope says in the video. "Future advances should be orientated towards respecting the dignity of the person."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYkwVRteZTI

## Common Ground

As *The Verge* notes, this isn't the first time that the pope has called for more ethical development of AI.

Pope Francis has [met with powerful leaders](<https://futurism.com/microsoft-pope-ethical-ai>) in the technology sector, like Microsoft president Brad Smith, to discuss how AI could be used to help rather than exploit people.

"If mankind's so-called technological progress were to become an enemy of the common good, this would lead to an unfortunate regression to a form of barbarism dictated by the law of the strongest," Pope Francis [said last year](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/pope-ai-humanity-barbarism>).

**READ MORE:** [Pope Francis urges followers to pray that AI and robots ‘always serve mankind’](<https://www.theverge.com/2020/11/11/21560076/pope-francis-ai-for-good-pray-serve-mankind>) \[*The Verge*\]

**More on the Pope:** *[The Pope Says AI Could Lead Humanity to "Barbarism"](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/pope-ai-humanity-barbarism>)*

## Author
Dan Robitzki is a senior reporter for Futurism, where he likes to cover AI, tech ethics, and medicine. He spends his extra time fencing and streaming games from Los Angeles, California.

### Author social links  
[Twitter](<https://x.com/danrobitzski>)