When to say “no” to AI at school and at home: see the pope’s warning

Pope Leo XIV dedicates a substantial part of his first encyclical, Magnificent Humanitythe impact of the digital revolution on education and family life.

The pontiff recognizes that “rapid technological changes reveal how unprepared we are at the educational level.” He warns that “the widespread penetration of digital media promotes a culture of immediacy and hyperstimulation, which generates fatigue, boredom and apathy towards the effort required to seek the truth”.

In response, he emphasizes that education “is a long journey that requires patience and, therefore, needs time for development and for engagement with reality beyond appearances”, something he considers “fundamental”, because — as he reminds us — all technology “shapes those who use it”.

What the encyclical on AI brings

In the encyclical, Leo XIV does not offer ready-made answers or an easy list of tips. Instead, he makes a broad call to rethink what it means to educate people in the use of artificial intelligence and its implications.

Ultimately, as he himself states, it’s about educating people “to decide when and for what purpose it should not be used.”

“The speed and ease with which answers or summaries can be obtained risks extinguishing the desire to ask questions, which is a process that bears fruit only over time,” the pope writes. To illustrate this point, he turns to Greek philosopher Plato’s Seventh Letter from 353 BC, a cornerstone of Western thought.

“We must learn, then, how to exercise moderation in the use of artificial intelligence and protect our young people from the promise of the perfect machine, from that subtle temptation that makes human thought seemingly superfluous precisely when it is most needed,” he suggests, remembering that, as Plato said, the deepest and most important realities are learned only with a lot of time and effort.

Warning about exposure to screens and social media

The pope also warns about the negative impact on sleep, attention and emotional regulation caused by “early and unsupervised exposure to digital devices and social media.”

This is made worse, he continues, “by easy access to violent or degrading content that offends sensitivity, to pornographic and hypersexualized material, to messages that trivialize the body and emotions, and to proposals that normalize risky behavior.”

“Having a personal mobile device at a very early age and using it without adult supervision can exacerbate young people’s vulnerabilities, promote addiction and expose them to isolation, bullying and cyberbullying, as well as pressure to share intimate images or sensitive information,” he warns.

In this regard, the pontiff recognizes that it is difficult for parents alone to resist “the influence of business models that monetize attention and time.” Hence his call for “an alliance between public policymakers, educational institutions and families that is capable of concretely supporting adults in this task.”

“Public policies with a long-term vision are necessary,” he insists, “to oppose the immediate interests of platforms, concentrated in a few hands, when they conflict with the well-being of minors.”

Praise for initiatives from other countries

Along these lines, without pointing to any specific government, he speaks positively of legislative initiatives promoted in countries such as Australia, France and Spain, and encourages the promotion of “establishing age limits, holding service providers accountable rather than transferring the entire burden of control to families, and providing specific protections against all forms of sexual exploitation and online violence. Thus, children and adolescents, who are entrusted to our care, can be genuinely protected as a precious treasure.”

Leão also identifies several urgent challenges within education given the emergence of artificial intelligence. “Many education systems struggle to keep up with change and support students’ holistic development,” he notes.

The development of information technologies and artificial intelligence is making curricula designed for another era obsolete, while school organization, spaces, assessment methods and the role of the teacher themselves must be rethought “in order to promote an authentically integral education that addresses all dimensions of the person”.

“It is necessary to support the ongoing training of teachers throughout their professional lives, so that they can engage positively with new technologies, helping students to use them responsibly, critically and creatively, rather than passively succumbing to their influence,” he says.

The Holy Father also identifies a challenge of an intellectual and sapiential nature. “Without careful attention, an educational system lacking a love of truth can emerge, in which an incessant flow of information replaces the essential exercise of research, reflection and discernment,” he laments.

Warning for fragmented knowledge

In this context, he warns of the proliferation of fragmented knowledge, while “it becomes difficult to understand reality as a whole, ask deep questions about meaning or develop authentic, critical and creative thinking”.

“A genuinely healthy attitude is necessary, requiring rhythms that incorporate silence, in-depth study, reading and careful analysis, as without these elements inner freedom can be compromised”, he proposes.

The Church’s social doctrine, the pope says, demands a renewed educational alliance between families, schools, Christian communities and public institutions.

This comes to fruition when the principles are translated into educational objectives: educating in sobriety and a sense of limits; in recognizing the right of others and future generations to enjoy the goods received or created by human ingenuity; in freedom and responsibility; and in the sense of transcendence and common good.

“Schools are not called to keep pace with the digital world, but to offer what the digital sphere alone cannot provide, namely shared time to learn and develop trusting relationships,” he concludes.

©2026 Catholic News Agency. Published with permission. Original in English: When to say ‘no’ to AI in the classroom and at home: A key warning of Magnifica Humanitas https://www.ewtnnews.com/vatican/when-to-say-no-to-ai-in-the-classroom-and-at-home-a-key-warning-of-magnifica-humanitas