At the Builders AI Forum in Rome, Catholic leaders, investors, researchers and technology companies converged on a shared premise: artificial intelligence can serve the Church’s mission, but should not set its terms. The Nov. 5–6 gathering at the Pontifical Gregorian University focused on AI for evangelization, health, education and responsible product development.¹

For Vatican officials, the central concern was less whether AI will be used than how its development is shaped. Cardinal Michael Czerny argued that learning should not be treated as “an isolated and transactional process,” but as “a communal form of dialogue,” warning that people affected by AI are not sufficiently listening to one another.¹ Montse Alvarado, the Vatican’s communications prefect, similarly urged developers not to lose their interdependence as they build new systems.¹

Developers and educators at the forum emphasized tailored tools rather than generic models trained on the wider internet. Magisterium AI was presented as an example of a system drawing on trusted Church sources, while Bishop Stephen Wang described AI as a practical starting point for people seeking answers about faith. Seminary formation, he said, should equip students already immersed in the technology with discernment rather than ignore it.²

The forum’s strongest note of caution came from Megan Garcia, who called for accountability and independent safety testing after the death of her son, who had formed an emotional attachment to a chatbot. Her question — “Who is responsible when AI harms a child?” — framed proposals for third-party pre-release tests and restrictions on collecting, retaining or selling children’s data.¹

Speakers also drew a boundary around spiritual uses. Hallow founder Erich Kerekes said prayer is “fundamentally a relationship” with God, something AI cannot create. Alvarado made the distinction more directly: “AI is not a person, AI is a tool.”¹ The forum therefore presented Catholic AI not as a substitute for pastoral or human ties, but as technology intended to operate under ethical, communal and religious guidance.