FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
05/25/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 05/25/2026 11:10
FAO Director-General calls for AI’s transformative power to be at the service of rural communities and a bridge towards shared prosperity
Rome - The Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), QU Dongyu, today called for Artificial Intelligence (AI) to be guided by human dignity, inclusion and solidarity, warning that "technological change is moving fast and we need to ensure social adaptation".
Speaking at the high-level symposium "AI and the Future of Human Dignity: A Bridge Across the Demographic and Employment Transitions", the FAO Director-General stressed that "we recognize the potential of AI's transformative power" and that "the digital divide will be even wider if it is not at the service of rural people".
The symposium, held at the Palazzo Lateranense in Rome under the patronage of the Pontifical Lateran University, hosted by the Pontifical Academy for Life.
The symposium took place on the same day as the publication of Pope Leo XIV's first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, focused on the ethical and social implications of Artificial Intelligence. In his remarks, the FAO Director-General noted the significance of the moment, recalling that the encyclical was issued "exactly 135 years after Pope Leo XIII addressed the excesses of the Industrial Revolution in Rerum Novarum," drawing a parallel between past industrial transformation and today's AI revolution, noting that "it is reshaping our economies, our social governance, our agrifood systems, and the very essence of our work".
The Director-General also recalled FAO's early commitment to ethical governance of Artificial Intelligence through its participation in the Rome Call for AI Ethics. "In 2020, FAO was honoured to respond to the invitation by the late Holy Father Pope Francis, who called us to be one of the first signatories to the Rome Call for AI Ethics," Qu said, emphasizing the shared commitment "that technological progress must respect humankind, protect the vulnerable, and safeguard the planet."
Qu emphasized that FAO is asking critical questions such as: "How do we make the most use of this new dynamic to act as a bridge in this transformation?" and: "How can we make it an effective bridge between rural and urban areas?
Ensuring that AI be the bridge towards shared prosperity
The Director-General underscored the importance of ensuring AI availability and access for farmers, fishers, pastoralists and forest-dependent communities, especially for rural areas in less developed countries with limited AI infrastructure.
QU also stressed the importance of making agrifood systems more attractive to younger generations and "that its transformative power be a benefit of all," he said.
The FAO Director-General outlined FAO's ongoing efforts to support countries through its Digital Agriculture and AI Innovation Roadmap, which promotes AI applications across coffee value chains, farmer advisory services, horticulture and soil management. This he noted is in line with FAO's Four Betters: better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life - leaving no one behind.
He stated that the potential of AI "could be to assist and amplify human capability," but stressed that it cannot replace human beings.
Qu referred to what he calls "Allied Intelligences," describing it as "the conscious alignment of Human Intelligence, Artificial Intelligence, Ecological Intelligence, and Social Intelligence", bringing together ethics, technological optimization, nature's wisdom and collective action.
Warning against growing digital inequality, he stressed that "the expansion of AI should harmonize social and economic development, be inclusive and facilitate knowledge sharing among farmers and consumers".
Recalling remarks by Pope Leo XIV earlier this year, Qu said that "technology must serve the human person, not diminish him" and said that "it is up to us to elevate that message above our AI ambitions. We should not only measure how high we can go, but also how widely the benefits can be shared."
He concluded by emphasizing that we need AI to be a facilitator "but we cannot eat AI", reiterating that tools cannot replace humans.
"Let us walk this bridge together - from fear to fortune, from superiority to solidarity - so that all of humanity can benefit from AI for a better future for all," he added.
Speaking at the high-level symposium "AI and the Future of Human Dignity: A Bridge Across the Demographic and Employment Transitions", the FAO Director-General stressed that "we recognize the potential of AI's transformative power" and that "the digital divide will be even wider if it is not at the service of rural people".
The symposium, held at the Palazzo Lateranense in Rome under the patronage of the Pontifical Lateran University, hosted by the Pontifical Academy for Life.
The symposium took place on the same day as the publication of Pope Leo XIV's first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, focused on the ethical and social implications of Artificial Intelligence. In his remarks, the FAO Director-General noted the significance of the moment, recalling that the encyclical was issued "exactly 135 years after Pope Leo XIII addressed the excesses of the Industrial Revolution in Rerum Novarum," drawing a parallel between past industrial transformation and today's AI revolution, noting that "it is reshaping our economies, our social governance, our agrifood systems, and the very essence of our work".
The Director-General also recalled FAO's early commitment to ethical governance of Artificial Intelligence through its participation in the Rome Call for AI Ethics. "In 2020, FAO was honoured to respond to the invitation by the late Holy Father Pope Francis, who called us to be one of the first signatories to the Rome Call for AI Ethics," Qu said, emphasizing the shared commitment "that technological progress must respect humankind, protect the vulnerable, and safeguard the planet."
Qu emphasized that FAO is asking critical questions such as: "How do we make the most use of this new dynamic to act as a bridge in this transformation?" and: "How can we make it an effective bridge between rural and urban areas?
Ensuring that AI be the bridge towards shared prosperity
The Director-General underscored the importance of ensuring AI availability and access for farmers, fishers, pastoralists and forest-dependent communities, especially for rural areas in less developed countries with limited AI infrastructure.
QU also stressed the importance of making agrifood systems more attractive to younger generations and "that its transformative power be a benefit of all," he said.
The FAO Director-General outlined FAO's ongoing efforts to support countries through its Digital Agriculture and AI Innovation Roadmap, which promotes AI applications across coffee value chains, farmer advisory services, horticulture and soil management. This he noted is in line with FAO's Four Betters: better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life - leaving no one behind.
He stated that the potential of AI "could be to assist and amplify human capability," but stressed that it cannot replace human beings.
Qu referred to what he calls "Allied Intelligences," describing it as "the conscious alignment of Human Intelligence, Artificial Intelligence, Ecological Intelligence, and Social Intelligence", bringing together ethics, technological optimization, nature's wisdom and collective action.
Warning against growing digital inequality, he stressed that "the expansion of AI should harmonize social and economic development, be inclusive and facilitate knowledge sharing among farmers and consumers".
Recalling remarks by Pope Leo XIV earlier this year, Qu said that "technology must serve the human person, not diminish him" and said that "it is up to us to elevate that message above our AI ambitions. We should not only measure how high we can go, but also how widely the benefits can be shared."
He concluded by emphasizing that we need AI to be a facilitator "but we cannot eat AI", reiterating that tools cannot replace humans.
"Let us walk this bridge together - from fear to fortune, from superiority to solidarity - so that all of humanity can benefit from AI for a better future for all," he added.
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