Pope Francis Warns AI Companies Are Creating New Colonial Empire

Pope Francis said this month that artificial intelligence companies represent a new form of colonialism and empire ^[1].

This perspective highlights a growing intersection between religious ethics and technological criticism. By framing AI development as an imperial force, the Pope signals that the risks of the technology extend beyond data privacy to the fundamental economic stability of global populations.

In a recent public encyclical and subsequent remarks, the Pope said that the current trajectory of AI development creates profound economic inequality [1, 2]. He said that the power concentrated within a few tech giants mirrors the exploitative structures of historical colonial empires ^[1].

Tech journalist Karen Hao echoed these concerns during an interview with NPR host Steve Inskeep [1, 2]. Hao said the operation of AI functions like an empire that devalues and displaces human workers [1, 2]. She said that the drive for efficiency often comes at the cost of the people providing the underlying labor for these systems ^[1].

Both the Pope and Hao said that the rapid expansion of AI is not a neutral technological progression—it is a shift that risks further marginalizing vulnerable workers. The discussion emphasizes a shared fear that the benefits of AI are being captured by a small elite, while the costs are borne by the global workforce [1, 2].

This alignment between the Vatican and tech critics suggests a broader movement to challenge the governance of AI. The focus has shifted from the theoretical risk of sentient machines to the immediate reality of labor displacement and economic dominance [1, 2].