Pope Leo XIV Addresses Artificial Intelligence in Encyclical

Pope Leo XIV has taken a significant step in the discussion about artificial intelligence. On Monday, he revealed his first encyclical letter, Magnifica Humanitas, at the Vatican. In this document, he stressed the importance of upholding human dignity and agency as AI technology advances.

The pope’s message was directed at corporate leaders, politicians, and individuals who influence or will be influenced by AI in the future. He issued a warning to protect humanity from AI’s most disruptive impacts.

Delivered as a papal encyclical, it was a public letter addressed to ‘all people of good will.’ The letter, consisting of approximately 42,300 words in the English translation, explained his wish to safeguard human dignity in a world where AI technology poses a threat to human roles in professional and social spheres.

At the presentation, Christopher Olah, a co-founder of Anthropic, a leading AI developer, joined Pope Leo XIV. This represented a symbolic dialogue between spiritual and technological leaders.

While acknowledging, ‘technology should not be considered, in itself, as a force antagonistic to humanity,’ Leo XIV pointed out that ‘the pursuit of greater profits cannot justify choices that systematically sacrifice jobs.’

The pope called for several measures, including:

• Government regulation of private companies advancing AI technology.
• Protection and retraining for workers whose careers are at risk.
• Education programs to help students engage critically with technology.
• Measures to protect children from violent, hypersexualized, or fake AI-generated content online.
• Ensuring that humans remain responsible for all decisions regarding the use of weapons.

He emphasized maintaining a fundamental social role for all individuals, stating that a society providing employment only to a small segment, despite high technical development, risks forcing many into inactivity.

Leo XIV described this situation as a paradox where material advancement and anthropological decline threaten the foundation of a just and stable social peace.

The pontiff noted that his views were shaped by engagements with scientists, engineers, and political figures. In particular, he mentioned Mr. Olah, with whom he committed to collaborating to find a path for humanity in the age of AI.