Vatican diplomat: Don’t delegate scientific decisions to AI
April 29, 2026
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CWN Editor's Note: Addressing a UN commission meeting, a Vatican diplomat warned against delegating scientific decisions to AI.
Archbishop Ettore Balestrero, apostolic nuncio and Permanent Observer to the United Nations and other international organizations in Geneva, Switzerland, said that “delegating critical decision-making processes in scientific activities to AI systems” is a “cause for deep concern, particularly in sensitive areas such as medicine, health and bioethics. While AI can assist healthcare professionals with tasks such as pattern recognition, risk stratification and decision support, decisions regarding patient treatment and the weight of responsibility they entail must always remain with the human person.”
Archbishop Balestrero called for “proper ethical management and regulatory frameworks” for AI that are “centered on the human person, rather than mere criteria of utility or efficiency.”
“In line with the principle of subsidiarity, it is essential to establish and implement adequate safeguards and to foster collaboration among stakeholders,” he added.
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