Ethics, issues and the future of humanity
By His Holiness Catholicos Aram I of the Great House of Cilicia
Part IV
Therefore, we should not let AI over-empower humans to the extent of forgetting their imperfection and dependability on God. Likewise, we should not over-empower AI to the degree of making human beings inferior.
6. Anthropocentrism heralded by AI is leading the human race towards greater SELF-CONFIDENCE and SELF-SUFFICIENCY by making it more arrogant and self-reliant—giving a sense of invincibility. The paradigm of AI, which is based on boosting productivity and enhancing speed, reducing cost and increasing profit, at the expense of critical thinking and creative drive, and above all, of ethical values, will further boost consumerism with devastating consequences for human life and the environment. Such a policy of AI makes humans both a beneficiary and more dependent on it, and even subordinate to it. It also promotes social injustice and widens the gap between rich and poor.
By being overwhelmed with the immense profits of AI, and by making it their own idol, humans will be alienated from their Creator and eventually from their authentic self. Christian anthropology rejects anthropocentric humanism. Only in God can humans discover the very meaning and purpose of their existence. The human being is a theocentric reality, understood only in relation and dependence to God. AI can provide a comfortable life, but it cannot provide meaning and purpose to human existence. Therefore, we should not let AI over-empower humans to the extent of forgetting their imperfection and dependability on God. Likewise, we should not over-empower AI to the degree of making human beings inferior. This paradox requires critical reflection.
The church must use the benefits of AI on the basis of ethical values and principles, particularly in the spheres of education, missionary engagement, pastoral outreach, youth, and spirituality.
I had already finalized this reflection before my recent meeting with His Holiness Pope Leo XIV on May 18, 2026. A few days after my return from the Vatican, the first encyclical of the Pope, Magnifica Humanitas on AI, was released. I warmly welcome Pope Leo’s emphasis on the anthropological implications of AI, which is also my core issue and basic concern. I hope that the papal encyclical will promote a fruitful and meaningful dialogue between the Vatican and Silicon Valley. I also hope that religions of the world will take seriously the theological, ethical, and anthropological implications of AI and will respond accordingly.
Meanwhile, AI is moving forward with astonishing speed and growing power. It will become a determining factor in shaping the future of humanity and the world. Trust and fear will accompany the development of AI making it both a promise and a threat in this age of digital transformation. AI is no longer an option, but a must. Will humanity be ready to adapt itself to a future created by AI? Let us make AI a source of promise and progress by using it responsibly and productively, as well as by safeguarding God-created humanity. This is, indeed, an urgent and acute imperative, and a great challenge.
End of the article
Aram I
Originally published in the June 2026 issue of AGBU Magazine.