ROME – Representatives from the world’s largest technology firms and the French government met with officials from The Holy See on April 29 to discuss the ethical implications of artificial intelligence and its impact on human development.
The gathering, held as part of a closed-door exchange between the tech sector and the Vatican, focused on child protection and the broader societal risks posed by seamless, omnipresent AI communication.
The meeting is part of a strategic effort to integrate moral and ethical reflections into international digital policy, with the outcomes intended to inform France’s contributions to the G7 discussions on artificial intelligence and to ongoing work on the emerging global governance of AI.
Institutional Framework for AI Dialogue
The discussions are facilitated through the “French AI Observatory in Rome,” an initiative launched in 2024 in collaboration with the French Embassy to the Holy See. This forum allows for private exchanges between Vatican officials and industry leaders to examine the intersection of faith, ethics, and emerging technology, and to test ideas that may later surface in multilateral negotiations.
These dialogues have increased in frequency during the papacy of Pope Francis, reflecting a broader Vatican interest in ensuring technology serves humanity and in aligning Church teaching with the fast-moving policy debates on AI safety, transparency, and accountability.
The effort is further supported by the Human Technology Foundation, an organization dedicated to ethical reflections on technology and to convening policymakers, companies, and academic experts. The foundation’s executive committee is chaired by Father Éric Salobir, a Dominican priest who advises the Holy See on digital culture and innovation.
Verified members of the Human Technology Foundation include:
- Palantir
- Qualcomm
Vatican officials and their French counterparts see the observatory as a “listening post” for how the companies building frontier AI systems interpret new regulatory regimes, including Europe’s recently adopted AI Act, and how those rules might shape products used by children and other vulnerable groups.
High-Level Industry Participation
The April 29 session included a roster of senior policy executives from the dominant players in the AI and data sectors, alongside diplomatic and strategic advisors, underscoring how questions once framed as abstract ethics have migrated into the core of corporate and government risk management.
Attendees included:
- Benoit Tabaka, Director of Institutional Relations and Public Policy for Google in Southern Europe
- Claire Scharwatt, Head of Public Policy at Amazon France
- Claudia Trivilino, Public Policy Manager for Italy and Greece at Meta
- Adrien Abecassis, Director of Policy Initiatives at the Paris Peace Forum and former adviser to French President Emmanuel Macron
- Sarah El Haïry, French government official with responsibility for aspects of youth and civic engagement
According to participants, the presence of both senior corporate representatives and experienced French policymakers allowed the conversation to move quickly from general principles to concrete trade-offs-how to design systems, incentives, and safeguards that protect minors while preserving innovation and freedom of expression.
From Child Safety to Human Sociability
While the primary agenda was the protection of children in the age of AI, participants reported that the conversation shifted toward the “profound impacts of artificial intelligence on human sociability” and on the resilience of democratic institutions.
One participant, speaking on the condition of anonymity, described the talks as focusing on the foundations of human development and the risks associated with tools that allow for constant, seamless communication.
“We had lengthy discussions on the foundations of human development, and on the risks that emerge with a tool that is always available for seamless communication, like artificial intelligence.”
The participant noted that the atmosphere was “more humanist than theological,” observing that while some executives adhered strictly to corporate talking points, others appeared personally invested in the ethical discourse. The discussion ranged from algorithmic amplification of harmful content to the psychological effects of conversational agents on children and teenagers.
The meeting signaled that the Vatican does not reject technology but seeks to direct its application toward the service of humanity. Officials present drew a line between using AI to enhance education, healthcare, and social inclusion, and deploying it in ways that erode attention, autonomy, or the capacity for in‑person relationships.
Integration into G7 Policy
The meeting resulted in a formal summary note drafted by the participants. This document was transmitted to Clara Chappaz, France’s minister delegate for artificial intelligence and digital affairs, as France prepares its position for the G7 leaders’ discussions on digital policy later this year.
The note is intended to serve as an evidentiary basis for France’s digital policy discussions within the G7 framework, attempting to bridge the gap between corporate technological advancement and institutional ethical standards by highlighting concrete use cases, risk scenarios, and potential safeguards.
French officials involved in the process have framed the Vatican exchanges as complementary to, not a substitute for, formal intergovernmental commitments such as the G7’s recently adopted Hiroshima AI Process, which sets out shared principles on safety, security, and human rights in AI development.
The Vatican continues to engage with various international constituencies, including representatives from Washington, to shape its official stance on the governance of artificial intelligence. Recent initiatives, including Pope Francis’s repeated calls for an international treaty on AI and the creation of a new Vatican commission on artificial intelligence, suggest that Rome intends to remain an active moral interlocutor as states and companies race to codify the rules of the AI age.
