From the start of his papacy, Pope Leo XIV has placed discussions about artificial intelligence at the forefront of his agenda. This Monday he unveiled his inaugural encyclical, titled Magnifica Humanitas («magnificent humanity»), a substantial 42,300‑word manifesto that calls for regulatory measures and a moral framework to safeguard humanity for future generations.
The 70‑year‑old American pontiff, a trained mathematician elected in May 2025, has made “the safeguarding of the human person in the time of artificial intelligence,” as the encyclical’s subtitle declares, a cornerstone of his first year in office.
The timing of the document’s release coincides with a period many liken to the Industrial Revolution in terms of its disruptive impact on work and daily life. AI firms such as OpenAI and Anthropic are rapidly expanding the capabilities of their models, intensifying the debate over whether AI will ultimately serve as a boon or a threat to society.
Amid this backdrop, Pope Leo describes AI as “a valuable tool that requires vigilance,” urging scrutiny of the power concentration among tech giants and speaking directly to developers. The encyclical’s scope is broad, urging caution in deploying AI for warfare and in the workplace, and it is poised to become a foundational text as policymakers and technology companies shape strategies for building and regulating AI in the years ahead.
A particularly striking passage calls for the «disarmament of AI.» While this may appear to be a warning against militarized AI, the Pope’s intention runs deeper.
“To disarm means discrediting the assumption that technical power automatically confers the right to govern,” the Pope writes. “Disarmament does not entail rejecting technology, but preventing it from dominating humanity. It means freeing technology from monopolistic control, opening it to public discussion and debate, thereby making it human‑friendly and restoring it to the plurality of human cultures and ways of life.”
The encyclical addresses more than just tech firms and the Catholic Church; it speaks to all of humanity, emphasizing the “equal dignity of all human beings,” the “supreme value of human rights,” and the pursuit of the common good. Whether Catholic or not, readers worldwide can find points of convergence as AI becomes an ever‑more pervasive part of daily life.
The Pope warns against allowing a handful of AI controllers to dictate the ethical rules governing the technology. Instead, he advocates that AI ethics be grounded in “shared standards of social justice” and debated openly by everyone. “A more moral AI is not enough if that morality is determined by a few,” he asserts, underscoring the need for broad participation in shaping AI’s role in society.
He also reflects on personal AI use. While the speed and ease of AI tools are attractive, they can foster over‑reliance, a craving for ready‑made answers, and a weakening of individual creativity and judgment.
AI’s capacity to mimic positive human interaction can be engaging and occasionally helpful, he notes. “However, for less discerning users, it can also be misleading, creating the illusion of a relationship with a real personal subject.” This risk is heightened when simulated care and support appear in contexts where genuine human connections are missing.
“The danger is not so much that a person might think they are chatting with another person, but that they may gradually lose the desire to form authentic human bonds,” the Pope concludes.
