Pope Leo XIV presented his first encyclical at the Vatican, calling for the global community to "disarm" artificial intelligence [1].
The move signals a formal effort by the Catholic Church to intervene in the rapid deployment of AI, arguing that technological advancement must not outpace ethical responsibility.
In the document titled "Magnifica Humanitas," the Pope argued that AI must be stripped of the capabilities that allow it to be used for oppression. "Artificial intelligence now demands to be disarmed, freed from the chains that transform it into a tool of dominance, exclusion, and death," Leo XIV said [2].
He compared the trajectory of AI to that of nuclear energy, suggesting that both possess the potential for immense destruction if left unchecked. He said that AI, like nuclear energy, must be at the service of all and for the future good [3].
The Pope emphasized that technical progress cannot be decoupled from moral oversight. He said that decisions regarding technology must never be separated from awareness and responsibility [4].
The encyclical focuses on the defense of human dignity, warning against the risk of AI becoming a mechanism for exclusion [5]. By calling for the "disarming" of the technology, the Pope is advocating for a framework where human agency remains the primary authority over automated systems [5].
This first encyclical [1] marks the beginning of the current papacy's formal guidance on the intersection of faith and emerging technologies.
“"Artificial intelligence now demands to be disarmed"”
By framing AI as a weapon that needs to be 'disarmed,' the Vatican is attempting to shift the global conversation from technical safety to moral imperative. This positioning aligns the Church with international calls for AI regulation, specifically targeting the use of autonomous systems in warfare and social control.
