Pope Leo calls for being ‘profoundly human’ in the age of AI
EDITOR BRIEF
Pope Leo XIV’s first major papal document, Magnifica Humanitas, warns that rapid AI adoption risks undermining human dignity without stronger protections. The encyclical focuses on AI-powered warfare, labor upheaval, and the need for new ethical frameworks to govern technology.
CONTEXT
The Vatican is positioning AI as a moral and social issue, not just a technical or economic one. Its intervention adds pressure for policymakers to treat human dignity and accountability as central principles in AI regulation.
ARTICLE
Pope Leo XIV attends the presentation of his first Encyclical Letter "Magnifica humanitas" on May 25, 2026 in Vatican City, Vatican. | Getty Images
Pope Leo XIV warned of the risks of AI and unconstrained technological power in his first major papal document released on Monday. Magnifica Humanitas is the pope's manifesto on "safeguarding the human person in the time of artificial intelligence," in which he discusses the dangers of AI-powered warfare, the effects of AI on labor, and the need for new legal and ethical frameworks to govern technology. In his papal encyclical - a kind of open letter from the Catholic Church - Pope Leo stressed the economic and social upheaval that rapid AI adoption is creating, with inadequate protections for individuals that threaten human dignity. He com … Read the full story at The Verge.
