Artificial intelligence (AI) represents one of the greatest technological advances of our time, with profound implications for society, the economy and ethics.
In this context, 2025 is a momentous year for AI. Two important documents have marked this year as a milestone for AI. On the one hand, we have the “Antiqua et Nova”, a document of the Holy See published on 28 January, the result of mutual reflection between the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and the Dicastery for Culture and Education.
On the other hand, there is Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 of the European Parliament and of the Council of June 13, 2024, establishing harmonized rules in the field of artificial intelligence, whose prohibitions and general provisions entered into force on February 2 (Cd. 179).
In its 117 paragraphs, “Antiqua et Nova” addresses the relationship between AI and humanity and offers an ethical reflection from a Christian perspective on AI and its effects on human dignity and morality.
In contrast, the Regulation (EU), with its 180 recitals, 113 articles and 13 annexes, is a legal norm, the world’s first legal norm on AI. It establishes a regulatory framework to ensure the development and use of AI within legal parameters that protect fundamental rights and foster innovation.
While both texts approach AI from different perspectives, they share key concerns and offer complementary frameworks.
This objective is also shared by the Regulation, but based on a legal perspective, establishing harmonized rules to ensure that AI systems are safe, ethical and reliable and that they are used responsibly. In this sense, although the approaches differ, both perspectives agree on the need for AI to respect the essential values of humanity and to put the human being at the center.
Right from the start, the Holy See places great emphasis on human intelligence as different from AI. There are several paragraphs dedicated to this. This can also be seen in the Regulation, which requires in Article 14 what is known as “Human in the loop”, human supervision at certain points. This concept is making a strong comeback in the age of artificial intelligence.
There must be human supervision and 100% automated decisions are not possible in certain cases, so the Regulation seems to implicitly assume that a human being has the capacity to discern and criticize what AI does, as a guarantee.
A prudent use of AI
Another key point of comparison is the ethics in the development and use of AI. “Antiqua et Nova” highlights the importance of an ethic in which Christian moral principles guide the creation of technology.
The Holy See advocates for a prudent use of AI, considering that its decisions must reflect moral wisdom and avoid the generation of systems that reinforce inequalities or violate the intrinsic dignity of people, but without applying legal norms.
The EU Regulation, on the other hand, takes a more technical stance, imposing transparency, human control and audit requirements on high-risk systems.
Specific regulations are set out to prevent algorithmic discrimination and ensure the explainability of AI systems. Although the methods vary, both documents recognize the need for AI to be used responsibly and within a strong ethical framework.
The question of responsibility in the use of AI is another factor addressed in both texts. The Holy See warns against delegating critical decisions to AI without considering the central role of the human person. From a moral perspective, the ultimate responsibility must lie with the human being, since AI has no conscience and no capacity for ethical judgment.
For its part, the European Regulation establishes a regulatory framework that assigns clear legal responsibilities to AI developers, providers and users, ensuring that there are legal consequences in case of misuse or non-compliance with the rules. In this sense, while the Holy See appeals to conscience and individual ethics, the EU opts for a more concrete and coercive regulation.
Situations of inequality and discrimination
The Holy See warns against the use of AI in decisions that may affect marginalized populations, such as job selection, credit granting or access to basic services.
On the other hand, the EU Regulation expressly prohibits certain uses of AI that may lead to discrimination, such as social scoring systems or biometric categorization based on sensitive characteristics.
Both perspectives agree that AI should be a tool that promotes equity and inclusion, although the EU addresses the problem from a regulatory perspective and the Holy See from a moral exhortation.
As regards practical application, as it is a document of an ethical and philosophical nature, the implementation of the “Antiqua et Nova” in the development and use of AI may be less direct than that of the EU Regulation, which does have compliance mechanisms.
And, unlike the latter, which has legal force in the EU, the Holy See document has a more limited scope and its adoption depends on the will of the actors involved.
We can see that “Antiqua et Nova” and Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 represent two different but complementary approaches to artificial intelligence, both seeking human-centred AI, but with different approaches.
While the Holy See offers an ethical and philosophical reflection based on human dignity and Christian morality, the EU establishes a regulatory framework with concrete rules to ensure that AI is safe, transparent and respectful of fundamental rights.
Although their approaches are different, both documents converge on the need for AI to be at the service of human beings and not the other way around, promoting its development within parameters, some ethical and others legal, that protect society.
As Antiqua et Nova points out, “AI should be used only as a tool to complement human intelligence rather than replace its richness”.
María José Salar
Faculty of Legal, Economic and Social Sciences
Professor of the Master’s Degree in Bioethics
Catholic University of Valencia
