Pope Leo XIV warned on Monday of the dangers posed by artificial intelligence (AI) systems, citing the threat that “increasingly autonomous weapons systems are virtually beyond the reach of humans and cannot be effectively governed.”
The theme of AI regulation was taken up in his first encyclical, Magnifica humanitas, or The Magnificent Humanity, on the protection of humans in the age of AI. As one of the most important teachings a pope can issue, an encyclical serves as a commentary and authoritative guide on church doctrine related to political, social, or moral issues.
In this document, Pope Leo called for accountability, transparency and inclusiveness at every stage of the development and use of AI to prevent the loss of human connection in the transition to the digital age.
These criticisms are primarily directed at the AI developer class, calling for more accountability within a system that reflects the biases of its creators and has the potential to create new types of exclusivity. In his encyclical he said:
AI tends to amplify the power of those who already have economic resources, expertise, and access to data. Given the common good and the universal destination of goods, this raises serious concerns. This is because small but highly influential groups can shape information and consumption patterns, influence democratic processes, steer economic dynamics to their advantage, and undermine social justice and solidarity among people.
Pope Leo stressed that the Church is not opposed to technological progress, but that the rapid development of AI technology will have serious consequences that will be difficult to recover from. He called for slowing its expansion so developers can better understand the technology and restructure it in ways that don’t create a concentration of power, rather than just targeting a privileged few.
Furthermore, in his book, the Pope likened AI to a modern form of slavery. This concept has been discussed and studied in the context of low-wage workers engaged in training and data labeling. He communicated that the only way to right these systemic wrongs is to work together to rebuild the AI regime.
Pope Leo called on the church, as a body with knowledge of “human wisdom,” to participate in discussions centered on AI.
