Pontifical academy announces institute devoted to study of AI and environment

May 20, 2026

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CWN Editor's Note: The Pontifical Academy of Theology (PATH) announced the establishment of an observatory on the contribution of digital technologies to the environment.

The academy’s president, Bishop Antonio Staglianò, said at a May 18 press conference that “an ethical approach to artificial intelligence and digital technologies is not sufficient. We must adopt a theological approach, and this is possible only if we re-found the underlying anthropology and reaffirm the dignity of the human being who utilizes the technology.”

The observatory, according to a PATH press release, will focus on several concerns:

the exploitation of natural resources and its environmental and social consequences; the growing energy demands of digital infrastructure; the new ‘human ecology’, spanning the digital environment and social relations; the impact of technology on young people—including addiction, misleading content and the erosion of social relationships—in a context that still lacks adequate regulation; and the development of proposals aimed at tech giants for a sustained commitment to reducing emissions and massive energy consumption globally

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