Pope Leo XIV said artificial intelligence should be "disarmed" to protect humanity from its dangers and prevent the technology from dominating human life [1].
The warning marks a significant intervention by the Vatican into the global debate over AI ethics. By framing the issue as a need for "disarmament," the Pope suggests that the current trajectory of AI development is not merely a technical challenge but a systemic threat to human autonomy [2].
In what he described as the first major teaching of his papacy, Pope Leo XIV said AI must be regulated to avoid a future where algorithms exercise undue control over people [3]. He said against a race for ever more powerful algorithms, suggesting that the current global pursuit of AI capability is moving in a dangerous direction [4].
"Artificial intelligence should be 'disarmed' to protect humanity from its dangers," the Pope said [1].
He said that the current global approach to technology is fundamentally flawed. "We’re going the opposite way," he said, referring to the trend of increasing AI power without corresponding safeguards [5].
The Pope's statements emphasize that without strict limits, AI could become a danger to humanity. He said that the necessity for this "disarmament" is rooted in the need to ensure that technology serves human dignity rather than replacing it [2].
“"Artificial intelligence should be 'disarmed' to protect humanity from its dangers."”
This directive signals that the Catholic Church intends to leverage its global moral authority to push for international AI regulations. By using the term 'disarmed,' the Vatican is elevating the AI safety conversation from a corporate or technical concern to a matter of global security and human rights, potentially influencing policy in countries where the Church maintains significant social sway.
