Pope Leo XIV has issued a condemnation of unchecked artificial intelligence development, warning that the technology threatens to “normalize an anti-human vision” and calling on world leaders to “disarm AI” by freeing it from competitive dominance and monopolistic control.
In his encyclical letter “Magnifica Humanitas,” released by the Vatican, the Pope declared that AI is “not morally neutral” and that the fundamental choice facing humanity is “not between a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to technology, but rather between constructing Babel or rebuilding Jerusalem,” a biblical metaphor for choosing between self-destructive hubris and collaborative community-building.
‘Never Has Humanity Had Such Power Over Itself’
The 82-page document, which marks the 135th anniversary of Pope Leo XIII’s foundational social encyclical “Rerum Novarum,” devotes significant attention to what the pontiff calls the “res novae,” the new things, of our time. The Pope warned that digitalization, AI, and robotics are transforming the world “rapidly and profoundly,” creating unprecedented concentrations of power in private hands.
“Never has humanity had such power over itself,” Leo XIV wrote, citing Pope Francis. He noted that the main drivers of AI development are now “private, often transnational parties that are endowed with resources and the capacity to intervene that surpass those of many governments.”
AI ‘Not Morally Neutral’
The Pope delivered one of his sharpest critiques in Chapter Three, stating directly, “We cannot consider AI to be morally neutral.” In reality, every technical tool embodies choices and priorities through what it measures, ignores, and optimizes, and how it classifies people and situations.”
He warned that when AI systems are designed to treat some lives as less worthy, “it is not merely a tool ‘to be used well,’ since it has already introduced criteria that contradict the inalienable dignity of the human person.”
The pontiff singled out the environmental costs of AI, noting that current systems “require enormous amounts of energy and water, significantly influencing carbon dioxide emissions.” He called for “more sustainable technological solutions.”
‘Disarm AI’
Among the most striking passages is the Pope’s call to “disarm” artificial intelligence, an extension of his broader advocacy for peace and disarmament.
“To disarm AI means freeing it from the mentality of ‘armed’ competition, which today is not limited simply to the military context but is also an economic and cognitive phenomenon,” he wrote. “This entails a race for ever more powerful algorithms and larger datasets, driven by the desire to secure geopolitical or commercial dominance.”
“To disarm does not mean rejecting technology, but preventing it from dominating humanity,” the Pope clarified. “It means freeing technology from monopolistic control and opening it to discussion and debate, therefore making it human-friendly.”
War and Autonomous Weapons
In a chapter addressing the “culture of power,” Leo XIV turned his attention to military applications of AI, issuing a stark warning about autonomous weapons systems.
“No algorithm can make war morally acceptable. AI does not remove the intrinsic inhumanity of conflict; indeed it can only bring about conflict more quickly and render it more impersonal, lowering the threshold for resorting to violence,” he wrote.
The Pope declared it “not permissible to entrust lethal or otherwise irreversible decisions to artificial systems,” demanding that the decision to use lethal force “remain under effective, self-aware, and responsible human control.”
Work, Truth and Human Limits
The encyclical addresses AI’s impact across multiple domains:
- Labor: While acknowledging technology can relieve humans of dangerous tasks, the Pope insisted “the protection of employment opportunities and the irreplaceable role of the individual must remain the general rule.” He warned that “the pursuit of greater profits cannot justify choices that systematically sacrifice jobs.”
- Truth and Democracy: The pontiff warned that AI is “driving profound changes in public and political communication,” with tools that “could foster dialogue and participation” instead being “used to construct distorted narratives and blur the boundaries between truth and falsehood.” He cited philosopher Hannah Arendt’s warning that totalitarianism thrives when people lose the ability to distinguish fact from fiction.
- Human Dignity: The Pope rejected transhumanist visions of human enhancement, arguing that “humanity flourishes not despite limitations, but often through them.” He wrote: “To eliminate suffering entirely would mean, in the end, extinguishing love and desire as well.”
What ‘Must Not Be Lost’
In his conclusion, the Pope offered a philosophical reflection on what distinguishes humans from machines: “No computational system, however sophisticated, can create a heart that gives itself, or a conscience that discerns good from evil.”
He framed the encyclical’s central question as whether AI “makes[s] human life on earth ‘more human’ in every aspect of that life,” citing Saint John Paul II. If technology leads to “power grow[ing] while the heart withers and human bonds fray,” then humanity faces “a new form of Babel, a construction that is grandiose, yet fundamentally inhuman.”
Regulatory Call
The Pope called for “robust legal frameworks, independent oversight, informed users, and a political system that does not abdicate its responsibility” in governing AI. He demanded transparency in algorithms, accountability for decisions, and that data be treated as “a common or shared good” rather than private property.
“Merely regulating it is insufficient; it must be disarmed, welcoming, and oriented toward the common good,” he wrote.
The encyclical frames the technology not merely as an engineering challenge but as a spiritual and civilizational test.
