Pope Leo XIV released his first encyclical, titled "Magnifica Humanitas," on May 25, 2026 [1], warning of the risks posed by artificial intelligence.
The document marks a significant intervention by the Catholic Church into the global debate over technology. By calling for robust, transparent regulation, the Pope is positioning the Vatican as a moral arbiter in the race to develop AI systems that lack human empathy.
In the encyclical, Pope Leo XIV said that artificial intelligence does not possess a moral conscience, empathy, or affective, relational, or spiritual capabilities. He said that these missing traits make the technology dangerous if left unchecked by human oversight.
The Pope emphasized the need for governments and institutions to enact strict regulations. "We must regulate artificial intelligence with transparency and moral guidance to protect humanity," he said.
Beyond the technical risks, the encyclical addresses the geopolitical motivations behind AI development. The Pope said the race for AI is driven by a culture of power that fuels war, adding that the world must confront this trend with robust regulation.
This call for global oversight arrives as nations struggle to find a common framework for AI safety. The Vatican's message urges a shift away from power-driven competition toward a model based on moral guidance and the protection of human dignity.
“"Artificial intelligence does not possess a moral conscience, empathy, or affective, relational, or spiritual capabilities."”
This encyclical signals that the Vatican views AI not merely as a tool, but as a potential threat to the essence of human spirituality and ethics. By linking AI development to a 'culture of power' and warfare, Pope Leo XIV is framing the regulation of technology as a matter of global peace and security rather than just technical safety.
