On January 28, 2025, the Vatican released a note titled Antiqua et nova, diving into the relationship between artificial intelligence (AI) and human intelligence. This wasn’t just a routine memo—it was a full-scale theological and ethical statement, co-authored by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and the Dicastery for Culture and Education.
Their message? Human intelligence is a gift from God, and AI—while powerful—must remain subservient to humanity’s moral and spiritual needs.
It’s an ambitious stance, tackling both the promises and perils of AI in a way that only the Vatican can: part blessing, part warning. But between the lines, one question lingers—is AI itself becoming something of a god?
We are not there yet. AI and computer systems don’t have godlike powers.
But if you showed this technology to someone in the year zero, they might disagree with you.
Or call it the work of the devil.
The Vatican’s AI Manifesto: What’s in the Note?
- AI must respect human dignity.
AI isn’t just a tool; it’s a force that shapes society, and the Vatican warns against reducing humans to mere data points or algorithmic decisions. - AI should serve the common good, not just corporate or political interests.
The Vatican wants ethical guidelines that keep AI from being used purely for profit or power. - Beware of AI-driven disinformation and manipulation.
The Church warns of AI’s ability to distort truth—whether through deepfakes, algorithmic bias, or automated propaganda machines. - There must be transparency in AI decision-making.
If AI is used in governance, justice, or financial systems, people have a right to know how and why decisions are made. - Developers and users share a moral responsibility.
Those who create AI—and those who use it—must be aware of the ethical consequences of their actions.
It’s a call for moral guardrails on AI. But let’s be honest: are governments or Big Tech listening?
The God Complex: Is AI Becoming Divine?
The Vatican clearly sees AI as a human creation, not a divine force. But in practice, we’re treating AI more like a deity than a tool.
- It “knows” everything – AI can answer questions, generate new knowledge, and even predict future trends better than humans.
- It’s everywhere, all the time – AI-powered systems run financial markets, social media, governments, and even scientific research.
- People trust it blindly – AI-generated text, videos, and recommendations are taken as truth, even when flawed or biased.
- It replaces human authority – From legal decisions to medical diagnoses, AI is being given decision-making power over human lives.
- It creates, but is not fully understood – Just like ancient gods were worshiped despite their mysteries, AI’s “black box” decision-making means we don’t always understand why it does what it does.
We might not be calling it a god, but we sure treat it like one. And if that doesn’t raise some philosophical and ethical alarms, what will?
Lost in Translation: AI, Ancient Texts, and the Future of Knowledge
One of the Vatican’s more optimistic angles on AI is its potential to resurrect lost knowledge. AI-driven translation models are now advanced enough to decode ancient languages—including texts that have baffled scholars for centuries.
Take Vedic Sanskrit, one of the oldest known languages, used in sacred Hindu scriptures. Even modern translations struggle to capture its nuanced meaning, cultural depth, and spiritual significance. AI won’t solve this overnight, but over time, it could:
- Digitize and cross-reference thousands of ancient texts in seconds.
- Identify linguistic patterns and context better than human translators.
- Reconstruct lost words and phrases from incomplete texts.
Of course, there’s a downside. AI translations lack cultural intuition, historical knowledge, and human experience. It might literally “translate” a text, but it won’t necessarily understand its true meaning.
Still, it’s a wild thought—AI helping humanity recover lost knowledge from ancient civilizations. Almost poetic, considering how much we fear it taking our jobs.
The Vatican vs. The Algorithm Lords
While the Vatican pushes for ethical AI, the reality is that the real gods of AI aren’t theologians—they’re tech billionaires, governments, and corporate CEOs.
The AI arms race is accelerating, with:
- Governments using AI for surveillance and warfare.
- Corporations using AI to maximize profits, often at human expense.
- Job markets shifting under AI automation, with little safety net.
The Vatican’s call for transparency and ethical responsibility is well-intentioned, but let’s be real—does anyone expect Big Tech to pump the brakes?
The moment AI becomes a financial or military advantage, ethics take a backseat. Regulation is slow, and the tech evolves faster than policymakers can comprehend.
In other words, AI isn’t just a god—it’s a god we can’t control.
Bitcoin vs. AI: The Vatican’s Blind Spot?
For all its warnings about AI, the Vatican completely ignores one of the biggest debates of the future: how AI will interact with money.
Here’s the kicker: AI is not going to use euros, dollars, or pesos. It’s not going to go to a bank branch or sign a mortgage agreement.
AI is going to use Bitcoin.
- Bitcoin is neutral, borderless, and censorship-resistant—perfect for AI agents to transact with.
- AI doesn’t need a bank account, and Bitcoin doesn’t care whether the sender is human or machine.
- AI will likely earn, spend, and trade Bitcoin long before it ever touches traditional finance.
But the Vatican, still locked into the fiat system, doesn’t acknowledge this reality.
Meanwhile, governments worldwide are racing to create CBDCs (Central Bank Digital Currencies)—the ultimate AI-compatible control mechanism. The Vatican warns about AI’s potential for manipulation, yet doesn’t question what happens when AI and programmable money collide.
It’s a massive oversight.
Final Thought: Who’s Really in Charge?
At its core, Antiqua et nova is a call for caution. The Vatican sees AI as a tool—one that should serve humanity, not control it.
But here’s the uncomfortable truth:
- AI is already shaping what we see, what we believe, and how we interact with the world.
- It’s already outpacing regulation and traditional institutions.
- It’s already making decisions most people don’t understand.
The question isn’t just whether AI should be controlled ethically—it’s whether it can be controlled at all.
Religious leaders, politicians, and philosophers can debate AI’s place in society.
Meanwhile, the algorithms are already running the show.
One More Thought: What’s the Vatican Hiding?
AI has the potential to document, share, and interpret all the knowledge hidden away in the Vatican’s secret archives.
The Church has amassed centuries of writings, scriptures, and historical records—many of which are unavailable to the public.
- What if AI could decode texts that have been locked away for centuries?
- What if AI could reconstruct lost gospels, forgotten doctrines, or censored histories?
- What if AI could finally give the world access to information that institutions have kept behind closed doors?
Interested in the whole press release of The Vatican? You can read it on their website.