The Soul Is More Than Software

The recent Vatican statement on artificial intelligence, Antiqua et nova, represents an important new contribution to Catholic social thought. Jointly published by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and the Dicastery for Culture and Education and approved by Pope Francis, the document carries the subtitle “Note on the Relationship between Artificial Intelligence and Human Intelligence.” While global media coverage has focused on the document’s call for ethical oversight and effective regulation of AI in areas ranging from work and education to warfare, much of Antiqua et nova is an extended reflection on the deeper anthropological and ethical implications of the AI revolution. With a title that echoes Rerum novarum, the 1891 encyclical by Pope Leo XIII that launched modern Catholic social teaching, Antiqua et nova brings the Church into full dialogue with the transformative technology of our era.