Upon issuing his “Magnificent Humanity” encyclical during a presentation at the Vatican on Monday (May 25), Pope Leo XIV addressed questions raised by the proliferation of artificial intelligence technology and called for more AI regulation.
As reported by Variety, Leo cautioned that AI technology being in the hands “of a few” is detrimental, and that “opaque algorithms” could result in “new forms of dehumanization.” He said that any technological advancements with the technology shouldn’t be driven by “the idolatry of profit.” Pope Leo presented “Magnifica Humanitas” himself at the Vatican, where he was joined by the founder of A.I. developer Anthropic, Christopher Olah.
“Technology is never neutral, because it takes on the characteristics of those who devise, finance, regulate, and use it,” the encyclical, which is divided into five chapters, reads. “What is needed is a more active political involvement that is capable of slowing things down when everything is accelerating.” The encyclical argues that technology is not inherently “a force antagonistic to humanity,” but when it’s controlled by a few powerful private companies, it often isn’t in the best interest of anyone but shareholders.
The Pope wants to see “robust legal frameworks, independent oversight, informed users and a political system that does not abdicate its responsibility.” He also highlighted that AI technology was recently used as part of the U.S.-Israel war on Iran. Anthropic’s CEO, Dario Amodei, refused to comply with the Trump administration's demands to allow the U.S. military to have unrestricted use of its technology, specifically its AI assistant Claude, earlier this year.
Pope Leo said that it’s imperative that governments do not entrust lethal decisions to any AI systems, and that the use of such technology has helped accelerate the “normalization of war.” He stopped short of naming specific conflicts, but referred to “opposing imperialisms, between powers that wish to preserve their supremacy, and those that aspire to seize that supremacy.”
Another pointed topic addressed in the encyclical is the cost AI technology is having on the work sector. “The pursuit of greater profits cannot justify choices that systematically sacrifice jobs, because the human person is an end, not a means, and the economic order must remain subordinate to human dignity and the common good,” he wrote, per The Independent.
