A New Zealand response to Pope Leo’s letter on artificial intelligence
Shared from
New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference
First published 26 May 2026
Bishop Richard Laurenson of Hamilton welcomed Magnifica Humanitas, Pope Leo XIV’s first encyclical, which was published on 25 May and is about protecting the human person in an age of artificial intelligence. He said the letter offers criteria for directing AI towards the common good, so that people can approach it with hope rather than fear.
Julianne Hickey, an adviser to the Archdiocese of Wellington, and James Bergin, a technology leader who has advised the Church on digital ministry, also responded. They encouraged careful and ethical design, and noted that the Church has been involved in thinking about the ethics of AI for many years.