Pope Leon XIV called for a halt to the development of artificial intelligence and denounced investments in high-tech weaponry on Thursday [1].
The Pope's remarks signal a significant escalation in the Vatican's critique of emerging technologies, framing AI not merely as an ethical challenge but as a global security threat. He said the current trajectory of technological advancement risks the survival of the human species.
Speaking during a visit to the largest university in Europe, the pontiff urged the world to "desarmar" or disarm AI [1]. He said the convergence of artificial intelligence and advanced weaponry is driving the world toward a "spiral of annihilation" [1].
Beyond the geopolitical implications, the Pope addressed the internal practices of the Catholic Church. He specifically targeted the use of generative technology in religious leadership, saying that priests must use their own brains and not depend on artificial intelligence to write their homilies [2].
This call for intellectual autonomy among the clergy coincides with the Pope's broader plea for peace in global conflict zones. He urged a peaceful approach to the ongoing crises in Ukraine and the Middle East [1].
By linking the use of AI in the pulpit to the use of AI in warfare, the Pope characterized the technology as a tool that replaces human judgment with algorithmic output. He said this shift threatens the fundamental essence of humanity, and spiritual leadership [1, 2].
“Estamos en una espiral de aniquilación”
The Pope's demand for AI disarmament represents a shift from urging 'ethical AI' to calling for a systemic cessation of development. By linking clerical laziness in homilies to the existential threat of high-tech weaponry, the Vatican is attempting to frame AI as a holistic threat to human agency and moral discernment.
