Vatican Establishes Commission, Issues AI Use Guidelines

For practitioners: Institutional AI guidelines set by mission-driven organizations change expectations for governance, procurement, and data handling across projects. According to ZENIT, the Holy See created an Interdicasterial Commission on Artificial Intelligence on May 16 and the commission held its inaugural meeting on June 17 at Palazzo San Callisto. ZENIT reports the commission's first priorities are compiling a comprehensive inventory of AI initiatives within the Holy See, gathering principal concerns from individual Vatican institutions, and drafting guidelines for responsible AI use across Vatican offices. Per ZENIT, the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development will coordinate the commission for its first year. These steps build on the Guidelines on Artificial Intelligence that Vatican City State released effective January 1, 2025, which emphasize human dignity, transparency, non-discrimination, and data security, according to VaticanState.va and USCCB reporting. AP noted the Vatican document addresses AI uses ranging from warfare to health care and echoes Pope Francis's warnings about AI risks.