Now a priest of the Holy See, Salobir chairs the executive committee of the Human Technology Foundation, an organization that promotes ethical reflection on technology and counts Google, Palantir and Qualcomm among its members.
Working with the French Embassy in the Holy See, Salobir helped launch the “French AI Research Center in Rome” in 2024, creating a platform for the exchange of information between the tech industry and Vatican officials. Starting under Pope Francis, they have grown steadily recently.
The April 29 meeting was one of them. In addition to Salobir and French government official El Haïry, those who attended the meeting included Benoit Tabaka, Google’s director of institutional relations and public policy in southern Europe; Claire Scharwatt, head of public policy at Amazon France; Claudia Trivilino, public policy manager for Italy and Greece at Meta; and Adrien Abecassis, director of policy initiatives at the Paris Peace Conference and former adviser to French President Emmanuel Macron.
The focus of the gathering was the protection of children in the age of AI, but the discussion quickly expanded to “the profound effects of artificial intelligence on human society,” said one participant, who did not want to be identified to speak freely. “We had a long discussion about the basics of human development, and about the dangers that arise with a tool that is always available for seamless communication, like artificial intelligence.”
The tone, the participant said, was “more human than theological.” Some tech executives seemed personally invested in the discussion, while others stuck more closely to their talking points. “In any case, the meeting shows that part of the Vatican does not reject such technology, but wants to put it at the service of humanity,” the participant added.
Afterwards, the participants prepared a summary that was sent to Clara Chappaz, the French minister’s representative for artificial intelligence and digital affairs, with the aim of introducing French digital policy discussions around the G7.
Washington weighs in
The tech industry isn’t the only constituency trying to shape the Vatican’s thinking.
