Pope Leon XIV released his first encyclical on Monday, calling for the strong regulation and "disarmament" of artificial intelligence [1].
The document, titled *Magnifica Humanitas*, marks a significant intervention by the Vatican into the global debate over technological ethics. By framing the unchecked growth of AI as a threat to human dignity, the Pope is positioning the church as a moral watchdog against the concentration of power within the tech industry [2].
In the encyclical, the Pope warned that the control of AI is not merely a technical matter but a moral one. He said, "Quien controla la IA impondrá su visión moral" [3]. This concern centers on the risk of "technofascism," where a few powerful entities could dictate the moral and social standards of global society through algorithmic control [4].
The Pope specifically urged developers to shift their priorities away from profit and toward the collective interest of humanity. "Pido una regulación sólida de la inteligencia artificial y que sus desarrolladores trabajen por el bien común, no por el lucro," he said [5].
Beyond corporate regulation, the text addresses the intersection of AI and global conflict. The Pope argued that the integration of autonomous systems into warfare risks making state-sponsored violence a standard practice. He said, "Debemos “desarmar” la inteligencia artificial y rechazar la normalización de la guerra" [6].
This call for "disarmament" suggests that certain AI capabilities may be too dangerous for any single nation or corporation to possess. The encyclical argues that the pursuit of technological supremacy must be replaced by a commitment to the common good [7].
The publication of *Magnifica Humanitas* on May 25, 2026 [8], establishes the primary theological and ethical framework for the current papacy regarding the digital age. It serves as a formal appeal to international governing bodies to implement safeguards that prevent technology from overriding human agency [2].
“Quien controla la IA impondrá su visión moral.”
This encyclical signals that the Vatican views AI not as a tool for efficiency, but as a potential instrument of systemic oppression. By using the term 'technofascism,' Pope Leon XIV is linking modern data concentration to historical authoritarianism, suggesting that the digital divide could create a new class of global rulers who control the moral architecture of society through code.
