Pope León XIV issued his first encyclical on May 25, 2026 [1], warning about the ethical risks posed by artificial intelligence.
The document marks a significant intervention by the Holy See into the global governance of technology. By calling for the "disarmament" of AI, the Pope is positioning the Catholic Church as a moral watchdog against the potential for algorithmic domination and social exclusion.
Titled “Magnífica Humanitas,” the 130-page document [4] argues that artificial intelligence is not a neutral tool. The Pope said, "La inteligencia artificial no es neutral" [2]. He said that without ethical safeguards, the technology could lead to domination, exclusion, and death [2].
Pope León XIV emphasized that the power of AI must not be concentrated in the hands of a small elite. He said, "El control de la IA no puede quedar en manos de ‘unos pocos’" [3]. This critique targets the current landscape of big tech monopolies and the disparity in access to advanced computing resources.
The Pope presented the encyclical personally in the Vatican [3], though he had previously offered a preview of the text during a trip to Africa [5]. The document urges a global shift toward the protection of human dignity, and the ethical application of machine learning.
Beyond global policy, the Pope also addressed the internal use of technology within the church. He said priests should not use AI to write sermons [6]. This directive suggests a concern that automation could erode the spiritual authenticity and personal connection required in pastoral care.
In the text, the Pope called for a systemic change in how the world approaches the development of these tools. He said, "La IA tiene que ser «desarmada» del dominio, la exclusión y la muerte" [2].
“"La inteligencia artificial no es neutral"”
This encyclical signals that the Vatican views AI not merely as a technical challenge, but as a fundamental threat to human agency and equity. By framing the issue as a need for 'disarmament,' the Pope is applying a vocabulary typically reserved for nuclear or chemical weapons to software, suggesting that unregulated AI development could lead to an existential or societal catastrophe.
