A charity has given Pope Leo XIV an unusual work of art as part of its effort to defend human dignity and help define “what should stay human in the age of AI,” an official told News Outlet.
Images released by Saint Peter for Humanity show the pope accepting the “Sphere of Humanity,” a green Murano glass sculpture. The artwork incorporates handwritten excerpts from his first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, which addresses human dignity, vulnerability, solidarity, conscience and the challenges created by artificial intelligence. The presentation took place during the pope’s General Audience in early September.
The Vatican presentation came as Saint Peter for Humanity prepared to bring 70 prominent figures together in New York City the following week. The group will begin developing the Codex Humanitatis, an independent initiative inspired by Pope Leo XIV’s call to protect human dignity as artificial intelligence grows more powerful and influential in everyday life.
“We recognize the benefits of AI. We just believe again that there is another force that should belong to that conversation; that other force is humanity,” Olivier Francois, the organization’s president and chairman, told News Outlet. “So the Codex Humanitatis, which is our initiative, starts from that simple idea. AI should serve people, protect human dignity, expand human potential and advance the common good.”
The “Sphere of Humanity” glass sculpture is presented to Pope Leo XIV on Sept. 2, 2026, at the Vatican. (Vatican Media)
“So what are we going to do in New York? We are going to gather 70 Nobel laureates, artists, thinkers, philanthropists, technology and AI experts, obviously that’s important, and we will ask them maybe the hardest question of our times, you know, as artificial intelligence grows even more powerful, what must remain human?” Francois said. “So obviously, before we head over to machines, we should be clear about what we value most in ourselves. So we will try to define what being human means and what should stay human in the age of AI. So this is a little bit of the initiative we shared with Pope Leo while presenting the sphere and this symbolic gift.”
The sphere is based on an original design by Italian architect and designer Gae Aulenti. Four handwritten passages from Magnifica Humanitas appear on the sculpture, including the warning: “In the era of artificial intelligence, when human dignity is threatened by new forms of dehumanization, ours is the pressing duty to remain profoundly human.”
In the encyclical, released in May, Pope Leo wrote: “Each generation inherits the task of shaping its own era, of guiding history to become a place where the dignity of every person is safeguarded, justice is promoted and fraternity is made possible.” He also cautioned that every era carries the risk of producing a world that is less humane and more unjust.
Olivier Francois, the president and chairman of Saint Peter for Humanity, is seen standing to the left of Pope Leo XIV on Sept. 2, 2026, at the Vatican. Saint Peter for Humanity describes itself as a “nonprofit organization founded on the belief that every person is a member of one human family.” (Vatican Media)
“For AI to respect human dignity and truly serve the common good, responsibility must be clearly defined at every stage: from those who design and develop these systems to those who use them and rely on them for concrete decisions,” the pope wrote. He noted that the processes behind many AI-generated outcomes remain opaque, making it difficult to determine who is responsible, fix mistakes or address resulting harm. “This is where accountability becomes crucial: the possibility of identifying who must ‘account’ for decisions, justify them, monitor them, and, when necessary, challenge them and remedy any harm caused.”
The pope also called for caution, thorough evaluation and, in some cases, a slower approach to AI adoption. He said that doing so is not a rejection of progress but an act of responsible care for humanity, particularly as technological development advances faster than public awareness, regulations, safeguards and institutions capable of managing its effects. “It is not enough to invoke ethics in the abstract,” he wrote. Effective legal frameworks, independent oversight, informed users and political systems willing to accept responsibility are also necessary. Without them, he warned, technological change could be driven solely by technocratic thinking and treated as unavoidable, with rules ultimately set by those who control data, infrastructure and computing power.
In a statement about the New York meeting, Saint Peter for Humanity said participants would work in 10 groups to prepare an initial draft of the Codex Humanitatis. The proposed principles will address the future of work, accountability, information integrity, human oversight and the protection of children and families.
Pope Leo XIV arrives to lead his traditional Wednesday General Audience at St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City on Oct. 15, 2025. In May, the pope released his first encyclical, the Magnifica Humanitas. (Stefano Costantino/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
After the initial draft is completed, it will undergo a worldwide consultation before being revised into a final set of principles, the nonprofit said. Saint Peter for Humanity plans to work with governments, businesses and institutions to put those recommendations into practice, including through discussions at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos.
