Wednesday, September 9, 2026
6:00 p.m. - 7:15 p.m. EDT
Location: Intercultural Center (ICC) Auditorium
From the moment of its release, Pope Leo’s groundbreaking encyclical Magnifica Humanitas (“Magnificent Humanity”) sparked dialogue far beyond Catholic circles. In it, Pope Leo calls for people of all backgrounds to engage in collaborative discussion of the risks and promises of artificial intelligence and reminds the world that, even amid the monumental changes brought on by AI, “we must lovingly safeguard the grandeur of humanity… the splendor of which no machine can ever replace.”
This Public Dialogue will bring Catholic leaders into conversation with leading voices in technology and AI policy to take up questions at the heart of Magnifica Humanitas: What does it mean to safeguard human dignity in the age of AI? How can we build a digital environment and economy that puts people first and serves the common good? What would a human-centered vision of AI ask of lawmakers, of employers, and of each of us? And where can Catholics most effectively help shape policy conversations about technology?
Kim Daniels, director of the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life, will moderate the conversation.
Recording
The dialogue starting at 6:00 pm EDT will be recorded and posted online for later viewing.
Photo © Vatican Media 2026
Participants
Archbishop Gabriele Caccia
Archbishop Gabriele Caccia is the Apostolic Nuncio of the Holy See to the United States and was appointed to this post by Pope Leo XIV in March. He has previously served as Nuncio to Lebanon and to the Philippines, and most recently as Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations in New York.
Vilas Dhar
Vilas Dhar is president of the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, one of the world’s foremost philanthropies advancing AI for public purpose. He has served on the United Nations Secretary-General’s High-Level Advisory Body on Artificial Intelligence, is the U.S. Government’s nominated expert to the Global Partnership on AI, and advises Stanford’s Institute for Human-Centered AI, OECD.AI, and MIT Solve.
Anna Rowlands
Anna Rowlands holds the St Hilda Chair in Catholic Social Thought and Practice at the University of Durham. She is a member of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development and spoke at the Vatican’s launch of Magnifica Humanitas in May.
Accessibility
All accommodation requests should be sent to cathsocialthought@georgetown.edu by September 4. A good-faith effort will be made to fulfill requests.