H.E. Mons. Vincenzo Paglia

An archbishop, scholar, and leading figure on the international cultural scene, Monsignor Paglia has always lived out his vocation with an open mind toward the world and its transformations. Since the 1970s, he has been a leading figure in the work of the Community of Sant’Egidio, distinguishing himself as a diplomat for peace in complex settings such as the Balkans—a commitment that has earned him, among other honors, UNESCO’s Gandhi Medal.

Former President of the Pontifical Council for the Family and the Pontifical Academy for Life, his reflections have always focused on the protection of human dignity at every stage of life, from the centrality of the family to the reform of care for the elderly—an issue he addresses today as president of the Età Grande Foundation.

But Monsignor Paglia is also a man of our time: he was among the very first to understand that the technological transition is not merely a technical challenge, but first and foremost a major moral issue. In 2020, he was in fact the driving force behind the Rome Call for AI Ethics, the historic document that introduced the concept of  ALGORETHICS (Algoretica) on a global scale, and thus the need to guide the development of artificial intelligence and robotics by always placing the human being at the center.