Pope Leo Addresses AI
In his first encyclical released last week, Pope Leo XIV addressed his thoughts about the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI). While noting that the technology has considerable potential for improving our lives, he also expressed significant concerns about its negative impact on humanity.
Highlights from Magnifica Humanitas:
- The ability to manipulate content, photos and videos through AI increases opportunities for disinformation and biased and misleading viewpoints. Pope Leo says this creates indifferences to the truth which “leads, slowly but surely, to a descent into totalitarianism.”
- The document repeatedly calls to protect employment opportunities and “the irreplaceable role of the individual” against the increased productivity and profitability AI offers.
- AI’s use during war must be governed by accountability and non-automated use of force, as AI has no moral conscience and may not discern the difference between combatants and defenseless populations.
- The document emphasizes that AI only imitates humans and does not have feelings or a moral conscience. Also, its responses may be biased by the information it gleans from its internet information sources.
- AI uses immense natural resources for its operation that negatively impacts the environment.
This link provides a brief overview of the encyclical’s five chapters: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2026-05/pope-leo-xiv-encyclical-magnifica-humanitas-ai.html
You can read the entire encyclical here.
