Pope Leo XIV called for a slowdown in the expansion and development of artificial intelligence technologies to prevent them from becoming tools of dominance [1].
The warning comes as global leaders struggle to regulate AI, highlighting the potential for these systems to exacerbate social exclusion and fuel international conflict.
In a primary document issued on a Monday, the Pope said that AI could be used as an instrument for exclusion and death [1]. He said that these systems have the capacity to spread misleading information and ignite disputes, which could push the world into a cycle of continuous wars [1].
The Pope linked the persistence of global conflicts to the financial incentives of the arms industry [1]. He said that the monetary gains made by weapons manufacturers are among the most prominent factors contributing to the continuation of war [1].
While some reports identify the warning as occurring on Saturday, June 21, 2025 [3], other accounts associate the guidance with a major document released on a Monday [1]. The Vatican leader said that it is necessary to reject war and liberate AI from the logic of hegemony [1].
He said that the development of such technology must be decoupled from the desire for power and the pursuit of profit through weaponry [1]. By urging a more deliberate pace of development, the Pope signaled a concern that technological speed is outstripping the ethical frameworks required to keep humanity safe [1].
“AI could be used as an instrument for exclusion and death”
This intervention by the Vatican represents a moral challenge to the rapid integration of AI into military and political infrastructure. By linking AI risks to the 'arms industry,' the Pope is framing the technological race not as a matter of innovation, but as a systemic threat driven by profit-seeking and geopolitical dominance.
