The Builders AI Forum (BAIF), an organization dedicated to developing a Catholic moral framework for artificial intelligence, has just reached a key milestone in its development with the appointment of Vincent Higgins as its Chief Executive Officer. This experienced technology sector executive takes the helm of a structure that aims to place the Church at the center of reflections on the civilizational shifts induced by AI.
Founded in October 2024 by Matthew Harvey Sanders, who also founded the specialized company Magisterium AI, BAIF has set itself the mission of fostering dialogue between major players in the technology industry and Church leaders. This announcement follows a first major conference organized at the Vatican in November 2025, highlighting the urgency for the ecclesial institution not to merely undergo technical evolutions, but to steer them for the service of the common good.
For Vincent Higgins, the primary issue is that of "responsibility." In an interview with EWTN News, the new director emphasizes that AI is already disrupting entire sectors, starting with software development and the world of creation. But it is the field of education that raises his most pressing concerns. According to him, AI's ability to personalize learning and autonomously fill intellectual gaps threatens the traditional economic model of universities, while also calling into question the very transmission of knowledge.
Faced with these transformations, BAIF is working to identify the ten major risks related to human dignity. The goal is to encourage "responsible AI," designed to foster human flourishing rather than cause harm. "We want the Church to be at the forefront of the message, not trailing behind," explains Mr. Higgins, specifying that the structure wishes to deepen the understanding of technology's impact on society.
This direction fits within a particular ecclesial context. Persistent rumors suggest that Pope Leo XIV may dedicate his first encyclical to artificial intelligence and the Church's social doctrine. This text, whose anticipated title would be Magnifica Humanitas ("Magnificent Humanity"), could be published on May 15, the anniversary of the famous encyclical Rerum Novarum by Leo XIII (1891).
The choice of the current Supreme Pontiff's regnal name seems to indicate a desire to place himself within this lineage of social reflection in the face of industrial revolutions. Vincent Higgins underscores the relevance of such a document, which would highlight the depth of the Catholic philosophical tradition in contrast to the purely probabilistic nature of machines. "When you illuminate humanity in all its beauty and depth, AI seems quite pale in comparison. It's day and night," he asserts.
The Builders AI Forum thus intends to align its priorities with the magisterium of the Holy Father. Vincent Higgins expresses the hope that the organization's members can act as "soldiers" in service of this mission, so that technical progress remains subordinate to the defense of human dignity and the truth of Catholic teaching.