Pope Leo XIV warned that unchecked artificial intelligence automation could cause massive job losses and a global "social calamity" [1, 3].
The warning comes as AI integration accelerates across global industries, raising concerns that the technology may prioritize efficiency over the survival of the working class.
In an encyclical released on May 25, 2026, the Pope argued that the concentration of AI control in the hands of a few could erode human dignity and increase inequality [1, 2]. He described the current trajectory of the technology as a new test of human dignity, work, and power [2].
"Control of artificial intelligence must not remain in the hands 'of a few'," the Pope said [1].
The Vatican leader said that the resulting automation from this imbalance could trigger widespread social instability [1, 3]. He called for the responsible and equitable use of the technology to ensure it serves the common good, rather than a small elite [4].
"AI poses a threat to human dignity," the Pope said [2].
He further cautioned that the scale of potential unemployment driven by these systems could lead to a crisis of unprecedented proportions. "Unchecked automation could create a global 'social calamity'," the Pope said [3].
The encyclical, titled *Magnifica Humanitas*, emphasizes that the moral imperative for developers and policymakers is to prevent the marginalization of human workers in the face of algorithmic efficiency [1].
“"Unchecked automation could create a global 'social calamity.'"”
This intervention marks a significant escalation in the Vatican's engagement with technological ethics. By framing AI-driven job loss as a 'social calamity,' the papacy is shifting the conversation from technical safety to a broader socio-economic critique of power concentration, aligning the church with global labor concerns regarding the digital divide.
