Pope Leo XIV issued his first encyclical on Monday, warning that artificial intelligence poses significant risks to peace, democracy, and humanity [1, 2].
The document, titled *Magnifica Humanitas*, signals a decisive shift in the Catholic Church's approach to emerging technology. By calling for robust regulation, the Pope is positioning the papacy as a moral watchdog against the potential for AI to undermine human dignity and global stability [2, 3].
Writing from the Vatican in Rome, the Pope argued that the rapid development of AI could accelerate warfare and threaten the foundations of democratic societies [3, 4]. The encyclical, which spans more than 100 pages [5], details how the technology may be used to create "new forms of slavery" [6].
Pope Leo XIV said that "technology is never neutral" [7]. He said that the current trajectory of AI development requires immediate intervention to mitigate dangers to the global population [4, 8].
Addressing the intersection of technology and conflict, the Pope specifically highlighted the danger of autonomous weapons. He said, "Artificial intelligence now demands to be disarmed" [8].
This directive comes exactly one year after Pope Leo XIV took office [5]. The timing of the release coincided with the Catholic faithful marking Pentecost [1]. The Pope used the occasion to pray that humanity would be saved from the evil of war and the unintended consequences of unregulated technological growth [1].
The encyclical urges international leaders to establish frameworks that prioritize human ethics over corporate or military efficiency [2, 3].
“"Technology is never neutral"”
This encyclical represents a formal integration of AI ethics into Catholic doctrine. By framing AI not as a tool, but as a force that can actively erode democracy and human rights, the Vatican is attempting to move the global conversation from technical safety to fundamental morality. The call for 'disarming' AI suggests the Church may seek to influence international treaties regarding lethal autonomous weapons systems.
