VATICAN CITY | May 25, 2026, 18:45 UTC
Pope Leo XIV released his first encyclical Monday, calling artificial intelligence “a force that must be disarmed,” warning that autonomous weapons and algorithmic exclusion pose existential threats to human dignity on a scale comparable to nuclear arms.
The document, Magnifica humanitas: On Safeguarding the Human Person in the Time of Artificial Intelligence, was signed May 15 — the 135th anniversary of Pope Leo XIII’s groundbreaking Rerum Novarum — and formally released to the public May 25 at a ceremony in the Vatican’s Synod Hall.
Speaking to diplomats, scientists, engineers, and political leaders gathered for the encyclical’s presentation, Leo XIV delivered a stark warning: “Humanity, created by God in all its grandeur, is today facing a pivotal choice: either to construct a new Tower of Babel or to build the city in which God and humanity dwell together.”
“Artificial intelligence needs to be disarmed. The word is strong, I know, but deliberately chosen because this moment needs words capable of attracting attention, awakening consciences and indicating paths forward for humanity.”
— Pope Leo XIV, Magnifica humanitas, May 25, 2026
The Pope drew a direct parallel between AI and nuclear weapons, calling for the same international moral framework applied to nuclear disarmament to be extended to govern AI development. “Like nuclear energy, it must be at the service of all and of the common good,” he said. “Decisions about technology must never be separated from conscience and responsibility.”
Key Warnings from the Encyclical
- Autonomous weapons: The Pope cited “increasingly autonomous weapons systems practically beyond any human reach to govern them effectively” as a primary concern.
- Algorithmic discrimination: The document flags algorithms that “can block access to healthcare, employment and security on the basis of data tainted by prejudice and injustice.”
- New forms of exclusion: The encyclical warns of “new forms of exclusion and suffering” created when decisions affecting people’s lives are delegated to machines without human accountability.
The encyclical is divided into five chapters and develops the Church’s social teaching for the age of artificial intelligence, building on the tradition established by Rerum Novarum (1891) through Centesimus Annus (1991) and Laudato Si’ (2015).
Leo XIV, who served as a missionary in Peru before his election as Pope, invoked his time there, recalling how he helped rebuild communities devastated by floods in northern Peru in 2017. “Rebuilding does not mean simply replacing what has been destroyed. It means repairing bonds, restoring trust, and reawakening hope in the future,” he said. “No one rebuilds alone.”
The Vatican announced the creation of a new study group on artificial intelligence to advise the Holy See on ongoing developments in the field. The group will include scientists, ethicists, and representatives from civil society.
European political leaders broadly welcomed the encyclical. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the document “gives moral weight to what many governments are already grappling with — how to regulate AI without strangling innovation.” The European Commission President said Brussels would study the encyclical as it drafts the EU’s next AI governance framework, expected later this year.
Tech industry was more guarded. A joint statement from several major AI companies acknowledged “the Pope’s important contribution to the global conversation on responsible AI development” while asserting that “innovation, properly governed, remains the best path to human flourishing.”
The encyclical’s release comes as the EU finalized its own AI Act implementation rules and as the Vatican prepared to host an international summit on AI ethics in September. Observers note the timing — the same week as a major US-China technology summit — gives the document added geopolitical significance.
Leo XIV explicitly rejected both technophobia and technophilia in the document, writing: “Let us not fear artificial intelligence, but constantly keep the question of the human in play. We cannot be careless with our most powerful technologies.”