Australia’s Ambassador to the Holy See, the Hon Keith Pitt, provided a thoughtful exploration of the ethical implications of artificial intelligence, the Holy See's influence on global affairs and the role of diplomacy in addressing contemporary challenges during a special lecture at Notre Dame’s Sydney campus.
Ambassador Pitt's Sydney presentation followed an earlier talk at the University's Fremantle Campus. Together, the visits provided opportunities for Notre Dame communities on both sides of the country to engage with Australia’s representative to the Holy See and gain a greater understanding of the work of this significant diplomatic post.
In Sydney, the event brought together members of the University community, including Chancellor, Mr Paul McClintock AO, Directors and Trustees of the University and Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of Sydney, Most Rev Terence Brady, students and staff and other friends of the university.
Addressing the guests, Ambassador Pitt reflected on Pope Leo XIV's recent encyclical on artificial intelligence, Magnifica Humanitas, noting its focus on human dignity and the future of work in an age of rapid technological change.
"It is not an encyclical about artificial intelligence; it is an encyclical in the time of AI,” Ambassador Pitt said.
“It is about human dignity, the dignity of work and the ability of the individual to carry themselves forward through their own tasks and the things that they do."
The Ambassador also acknowledged Notre Dame's growing engagement with the Holy See, praising the panel event on 'cultivating intellect in the Age of AI co-hosted by the University in partnership with the Embassy in Rome during the Jubilee of Education in October 2026, which attracted significant international interest. Ambassador Pitt noted that the pace of technological change made conversations about ethics, regulation and the common good increasingly important; "The Pope very clearly calls for regulation… Artificial intelligence must be a tool that advances humanity, not one which replaces it", he stated.
The theme of the conversation with the Ambassador aligned with the work of Notre Dame's Centre for Technology and Human Futures, which explores the implications of AI and emerging technologies intended to advance human flourishing on how we work, teach and learn. In his welcome to the Ambassador, Dr Tim Smartt, Senior Research Fellow in Notre Dame’s Institute for Ethics & Society, and representing the Centre, outlined how in recent months, since the release of Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical, much of the work of the Centre has focused on analysing the rich document.
In speaking more broadly about the unique role of Australia’s Embassy to the Holy See, Ambassador Pitt reiterated that Australia's diplomatic presence at the Vatican provided an important avenue for engagement on issues of national and global significance.
In continuing, the Ambassador explored the Holy See's diplomatic role in addressing issues ranging from human dignity and humanitarian assistance, to education, technology, safeguarding and social justice. The Ambassador also spoke about the Holy See’s diplomatic role in promoting peace, dialogue and multilateral cooperation at a time of increasing global instability. He said the Pope’s role as a global moral and diplomatic voice was especially important in encouraging this dialogue and calling for an end to conflict.
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