In a time of planetary crises, particularly on global environmental and social crises, artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a both an aid and a concern, the latter occasioning the need for guidelines on how to govern AI.
The need for guidelines on AI governance became the subject of a new paper published in the journal AI and Society by Springer Nature. The article “Artificial intelligence, integral ecology, and the planetary polycrisis: Insights from Laudato Sí and Laudate Deum for sustainable and just AI governance” explores the intersection of theology, technology, and ecology in addressing what Pope Francis calls the “planetary polycrisis”—the interlinked challenges of climate change, technological disruption, inequality, and moral fragmentation.
Authored by Institute of Religion academic staff Inst. Ivan Efreaim A. Gozum, MA and Prof. Arvin D. Eballo, PhD, the work argues that the Church’s notion of integral ecology, articulated in Laudato Si’, offers a transformative ethical lens for AI development and governance. Rather than treating technology merely as a neutral tool, the paper insists that AI systems must be evaluated in light of their impact on human dignity, social justice, and the common good. “AI must be designed not only for efficiency,” the authors write, “but for communion—with creation, with one another, and with God.” This framework challenges dominant market-driven and utilitarian models by advocating for a just, sustainable, and person-centered AI ethics.
Drawing from Laudate Deum (2023), the authors highlight Pope Francis’s critique of technological absolutism and his call for an “ethical conversion” in digital innovation. The study connects this call to the broader ecological vision of the Church, where human and planetary well-being are inseparable. By situating AI within the moral horizon of integral ecology, Gozum and Eballo propose a “theological-ethical paradigm for AI governance” that aligns technological advancement with moral responsibility, inclusivity, and sustainability.
The paper concludes by urging policymakers, theologians, and technologists to collaborate in building governance frameworks that respect both human and environmental dignity. Such collaboration, the authors suggest, could embody Pope Francis’s appeal for a renewed global solidarity capable of guiding the ethical use of emerging technologies in an era of crisis. Their contribution situates Philippine Catholic scholarship within a global conversation on the moral future of AI and digital ethics.
This publication adds to UST’s growing international research portfolio in ethics, theology, and technology, reinforcing its leadership in faith-based dialogue on emerging scientific and moral issues
Gozum and Eballo are both researchers of the UST Research Center for Theology, Religious Studies, and Ethics.
Read the full article here: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00146-025-02684-1