Archdiocese of Seoul honors AI scholar Fr Paolo Benanti

As the Church in Korea prepares to welcome young people from around the world for World Youth Day Seoul 2027, the Archdiocese of Seoul has placed the dignity of human life at the center of public attention at the 20th Mystery of Life Awards Ceremony, held at The Catholic University of Korea.

Hosted by the Committee for Life of the Archdiocese of Seoul, chaired by Archbishop Peter Soon-taick Chung, the ceremony honored individuals and organizations whose work has contributed to the protection of human life and the promotion of a culture of life across science, ethics, healthcare, and social action.

The ceremony brought together Church, academic, civic, and public leaders. Among those present were Cardinal Andrew Soo-jung Yeom, Archbishop Emeritus of Seoul; Archbishop Peter Soon-Taick Chung, Archbishop of Seoul and Chairman of the Committee for Life; and Bishop Job Yo-bi Koo, Auxiliary Bishop of Seoul and Vice President of the Committee for Life. Prime Minister Kim Min-seok also attended the ceremony and delivered congratulatory remarks.

A central focus of the ceremony was Fr. Paolo Benanti, T.O.R. — advisor to the Holy See on AI ethics, chair of the Italian government’s Commission on Artificial Intelligence for Information, and former member of the United Nations Secretary-General’s High-level Advisory Body on Artificial Intelligence — who received the Achievement Award in Humanities and Social Sciences.

In his acceptance remarks, Fr. Benanti reflected on the meaning of the “mystery of life” in an age increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence. “That word, mystery, signals something that does not yield to mere calculation, that cannot be reduced to data, that demands of us not only analysis, but reverence,” he said.

Warning against the reduction of human beings to data, Fr. Benanti said, “AI systems do not know how to see a person. They see patterns. They see correlations. They see behavioral signals and preference vectors.” He emphasized that “technology is not destiny,” and that the dignity of human life must be the measure by which every technological choice is judged.

In his address, Archbishop Chung expressed gratitude to the laureates for their witness to the dignity of life in their respective fields and highlighted the significance of the award’s 20th anniversary. “Through this award ceremony, I hope the value of life will be more widely shared and that a culture of respect for life will be further rooted in our society,” Archbishop Chung said.

He also connected the mission of the award to the future generations who will gather in Korea for World Youth Day Seoul 2027. “As we continue to prepare for World Youth Day Seoul 2027, we hope to share the value of life with future generations and to help spread throughout society a culture that protects human dignity,” he said.

Prime Minister Kim Min-seok emphasized that the protection of life is not only a religious concern, but also a national and social responsibility. “The issues most deeply considered by the current government, and most frequently discussed in Cabinet meetings, are industrial accidents, suicide, and public safety,” Prime Minister Kim said. “These cannot be addressed by systems alone.”

He continued, “Unless human dignity and a value system that respects life are firmly rooted, institutions alone cannot solve these problems.” He also thanked the Committee for Life of the Archdiocese of Seoul for spreading a culture of life in Korean society over the past 20 years and asked the Catholic community to continue walking with the Korean people in protecting life.

The 2026 Mystery of Life Awards recognized four laureates:

• Achievement Award in Life Sciences: Professor Won-Suk Chung, Department of Biological Sciences, KAIST, for his contributions to research on neurodegenerative diseases.

• Achievement Award in Humanities and Social Sciences: Fr. Paolo Benanti, T.O.R., Pontifical Gregorian University, for his work on AI ethics and technology governance.

• Encouragement Award in Humanities and Social Sciences: Professor Sujeong Kim, College of Nursing, The Catholic University of Korea, for her work on care ethics in medical settings.

• Encouragement Award in the Activity category: Human Resource Development Foundation, India, for its work with Dalit communities and its commitment to human rights and human dignity.

Each laureate received a plaque in the name of Archbishop Chung, together with prize money of KRW 100 million for the Achievement Awards and KRW 30 million for the Encouragement Awards.

Established in 2006 by the Committee for Life of the Archdiocese of Seoul, the Mystery of Life Awards seek to defend the dignity and value of human life and to promote Catholic bioethics in society. Marking its 20th anniversary, this year’s ceremony highlighted some of the most urgent life issues facing contemporary society, including artificial intelligence, advanced technology, medical research, care ethics, human rights, and the protection of vulnerable communities.