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Pope Leo XIV issued a stern warning about the challenges posed by artificial intelligence in his inaugural encyclical released on Monday. Titled “Magnifica Humanitas,” the document urges global policymakers to confront the rapid proliferation of AI technology with decisive action, emphasizing the need for regulatory frameworks that promote justice and mitigate the potentially harmful effects of technological advancements.
As the first pope from the United States, Pope Leo XIV has consistently voiced concerns about AI’s impact, particularly on the welfare of children and the workforce. In his initial address to the cardinals following his succession of the late Pope Francis in May, he highlighted the technology’s role in presenting “new challenges for the defense of human dignity, justice, and labor.”
The encyclical draws a historical parallel by referencing Pope Leo XIII, whom Leo XIV regards as a “beloved predecessor.” The Catholic Church is commemorating the 135th anniversary of Pope Leo XIII’s influential encyclical, “Rerum Novarum,” published in 1891, which advocated for the protection of workers’ rights during the upheaval of the second Industrial Revolution.
While Pope Leo XIV acknowledges that technology itself is not inherently adversarial to humanity, he stresses the importance of ensuring that these modern tools are directed towards the common good. He insists that society must take responsibility in guiding technological development to serve humanity’s best interests.
While the pontiff wrote that technology “should not be considered, in itself, as a force antagonistic to humanity,” society must ensure that newly-available tools are “oriented toward the good.”
He added, “New technologies open up a horizon extending in directions that are imaginable but not yet fully predictable. This complicates the assessment of their potential impact and the long-term effects they may have on both the dignity of individuals and the common good.”
As for how to address AI, the pope highlighted the need to “openly” discuss ethical frameworks regarding the technology to ensure that a select few do not control how it is applied.
“Calling for prudence, rigorous evaluation and even, at times, a slower pace in adopting AI does not mean opposing progress; instead, it is an exercise of responsible care for the human family,” he wrote.
“What is needed is a more active political involvement that is capable of slowing things down when everything is accelerating, and of protecting the opportunities for communities still to be able to participate and ask questions,” Leo added.
Christopher Olah, the co-founder of Anthropic, was in attendance for the Vatican’s launch of the manifesto. Anthropic is engaged in litigation with the Trump administration after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth designated the company as a supply chain risk and President Trump directing civilian agencies to stop using Anthropic’s products.
Those moves came after Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei demanded that the federal government refrain from using the company’s Claude chatbot for fully autonomous lethal weapons or for the mass surveillance of Americans.
The White House has been more open to the technology as of recently.
At the Vatican on Monday, Olah welcomed the pontiff’s leadership on AI.
Lawmakers in the U.S. on both sides of the aisle have warned about the risks posed by AI, although many in Washington have stressed the need for U.S. companies to keep up with their Chinese counterparts.
Progressive Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt), on the other hand, has banged the drum in favor of regulating the technology — he and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (D-N.Y.) even proposed legislation in March to halt construction of new data centers until the federal government implements safeguards.
The administration, meanwhile, has attempted to unleash U.S. companies in the AI fight against China.