Pope Leo’s Encyclical Warns of AI Dangers

Pope Leo has unveiled a new encyclical from the Vatican, titled “Magnifica Humanitas,” cautioning that artificial intelligence could evolve into a tool of “domination, exclusion, and death” unless moral limits are imposed by governments and institutions on this swiftly advancing technology.

The Vatican is actively engaging in the global discourse on artificial intelligence as governments and tech entities venture into increasingly sophisticated AI systems with inadequate international regulation.

The pope referenced Pope Leo XIII’s 1891 encyclical “Rerum Novarum,” which addressed worker exploitation during the Industrial Revolution. He argued that AI represents a similarly transformative moment that threatens human dignity.

“Today we find ourselves facing a transformation of similar magnitude, with perhaps even greater consequences,” the Pope stated.

The pontiff issued warnings about autonomous weapon systems that could escape meaningful human control. He also highlighted the risk of AI systems contributing to restricted access to healthcare, employment, and security due to biased data.

He drew parallels between AI governance and nuclear arms control. “Like nuclear energy, it must be at the service of all and of the common good,” he emphasized.

The pope further stated that merely disarming AI is insufficient, calling on governments and institutions to “build” systems founded on trust and human dignity. Reflecting on devastating floods in Peru, he mentioned that rebuilding equates to restoring trust and hope.

Addressing the larger conversation on humanity and technology, the pope declared, “The person bears within him- or herself a freedom, an interiority and a vocation to love and worship that no machine can replace.”

The Vatican aims to integrate moral theology into a largely secular technological arms race, urging people to remain vigilant and reminding them not to abdicate moral judgment to machines.