Vatican City - In his address to participants at the workshop hosted by the Pontifical Academy for Life, Pope Francis emphasized the importance of ethical considerations in the development of emerging technologies.

Entitled “Converging on the person: Emerging Technologies for the Common Good”, the international workshop is taking place on 20-21 February with the participation of academics from around the world.

The convergence of nanotechnology, biotechnology, information technology, and cognitive science has created unprecedented impact on human living conditions and the environment, with unpredictable effects and developments.

Pope Francis highlighted the need for healthy technological development to take these complex interweavings into account.

The Holy Father also emphasized the impact of new technologies on the definitions of humanity and relationship, and the need for a serious reflection on the value of humanity. He stressed the importance of reaffirming the concept of personal conscience as a relational experience, which cannot disregard corporality or culture.

Even in scientific research processes, the relationship between the person and the community has increasingly complex ethical implications. Pope Francis highlighted the urgent need to guarantee equal access to care, especially for vulnerable individuals such as the disabled, the sick, and the poor.

Furthermore, he also discussed the importance of balancing technological progress with cultural values. The speed of transformations and their interaction with the possibility of guaranteeing overall balance should be monitored, recognizing that this balance is different in different cultures. He encouraged efforts to ensure that everyone grows with the style that is peculiar to them, developing their ability to innovate starting from the values of their own culture.

Finally, the Holy Father emphasized the need for constructive dialogue and collaboration between science, technology, and society. He underscored the importance of a human-centered technical knowledge based on the principle that "the whole is greater than the part" and that "everything in the world is intimately connected."

Religious traditions can play a crucial role in contributing to this dialogue, as their ancient wisdom can help in these processes. Pope Francis encouraged the Academy to continue its commitment to reconciling scientific and technological growth with a parallel development of the human being, insisting on the importance of transdisciplinary dialogue and collaboration to address these complex issues.