Pope meets with scientists on climate

Pope Leo XIV addressed 140 members of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences at the Vatican on September 24 and 25 for their plenary session on the future of science in a changing world.

Technology has enormous power and risk

The Pope acknowledged technology's benefits in healthcare and food production, but warned that artificial intelligence can enable surveillance, manipulation, and discrimination without proper safeguards.

“Artificial intelligence can be used for surveillance, manipulation and discrimination.”

AI and weapons threaten global peace

Autonomous weapons and cyber capabilities developed without adequate safeguards introduce new dangers to international security and peace, the Pope warned.

Tech demands must match moral growth

Scientific and technological advancement must be accompanied by a corresponding growth in responsibility, the Pope said, as our power to transform the world increases.

“Scientific and technological advancement must therefore be accompanied by a corresponding growth in responsibility.”

Climate crisis is a justice issue

The Pope emphasized that climate change is fundamentally a question of justice and human dignity, not merely an environmental challenge, because natural disasters hit the poor hardest.

“The climate question is not merely an environmental challenge, it is fundamentally a question of justice.”

Prevention beats emergency response

The Pope called for moving from emergency response to prevention and from short-term measures to long-term vision, requiring resilience built through responsible science.

Scientists must work across all boundaries

The Pope urged scientists, young people, public authorities, and religious leaders to collaborate across disciplines and nations, since climate challenges cross every boundary.

“The challenges of a changing climate cross every boundary between disciplines, institutions and nations.”