EU says Pope Leo XIV’s AI vision aligns with tech rules

The European Commission said Pope Leo XIV’s call for AI to serve human dignity and the common good aligns closely with the EU’s approach to technology regulation. Thomas Regnier, the Commission spokesperson for tech sovereignty, security, and democracy, said European rules already reflect those goals through the AI Act, the Digital Services Act, the Digital Markets Act, the GDPR, and other measures.

Regnier said EU policy protects minors online, bans AI systems that exploit vulnerable people, addresses non-consensual and sexual-abuse AI-generated content targeting women and children, and prohibits social scoring. The comments followed a closed dialogue involving EU officials, Church leaders, experts, and the EU’s AI Office after Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, published May 25.

The European Parliament also approved amendments postponing certain obligations for high-risk AI systems used in health care, education, employment, and law enforcement while harmonized standards are developed. Irish MEP Michael McNamara said the delay was intended to provide legal certainty and did not remove fundamental-rights protections, human oversight, or human override requirements. COMECE and European Parliament President Roberta Metsola also urged human-centered, adaptable rules as AI develops rapidly.