Pope Leo issued his first papal encyclical, titled “Magnifica Humanitas,” calling for artificial intelligence to be “disarmed” and strictly regulated [1, 2].
The move signals a significant moral intervention by the Vatican into the global tech race. By framing AI as a potential existential threat, the Pope is urging world leaders to prioritize human safety over rapid technological expansion.
In the document, the Pope argues that unchecked AI development poses severe risks to humanity [1, 2]. He specifically highlighted the possibility of war and significant economic disruption as primary drivers for the need for restraint [1, 2]. The encyclical suggests that without major regulation, the technology could lead to widespread instability.
Pope Leo used biblical imagery to describe the current technological era. "Humanity... is today facing a pivotal choice: either to construct a new Tower of Babel or to build the city in which God ..." he said [3].
The call to "disarm" the technology suggests a move toward limiting the capabilities of AI, particularly in sectors related to defense and autonomous weaponry. The Pope said that the current trajectory of AI development requires a global effort to ensure the technology serves humanity rather than endangering it [1, 2].
This manifesto marks the first time the current pontiff has addressed the intersection of faith and machine learning in a formal encyclical. While the Vatican has previously engaged with tech ethics, “Magnifica Humanitas” adopts a more urgent tone regarding the potential for global catastrophe [2].
“Artificial intelligence to be “disarmed””
The Vatican is positioning itself as a moral watchdog in the AI era, moving beyond general ethics to demand specific regulatory constraints. By calling for the 'disarmament' of AI, Pope Leo is aligning the church with global movements seeking to prevent an AI arms race, potentially influencing Catholic leaders and policymakers to support restrictive international treaties on autonomous systems.
