VATICAN CITY (RNS) — Pope Leo XIV took direct aim at the power of Big Tech in his first encyclical on Monday (May 25), warning that artificial intelligence risks increasing inequality, undermining democracy and undermining what it means to be human.
The 83-page papal teaching document, titled “Magnifica Humanitas” (Magnificent Humanity), presents AI as the new industrial revolution and calls for “disarming AI” by removing it from military and economic interests, subjecting AI companies to strict state and international regulations and inviting broad participation of individuals and communities in shaping the future of this rapidly evolving technology.
Leo wrote, “Disarming AI means freeing it from the mentality of ‘armed’ competition, which today is not limited to the military context, but is also an economic and cognitive phenomenon.” He said, “Disarmament does not mean abandoning technology, but preventing it from dominating humanity.”
“For this reason, merely regulating it is insufficient; it must be disarming, welcoming and accessible,” the document says.
Leo also took aim at Big Tech in the document, highlighting the dangers of a few wealthy individuals influencing humanity’s future and livelihoods, thereby “widening the gap between those participating in the digital revolution and those living on the margins.”
“AI amplifies the power of those who already have economic resources, expertise, and access to data,” he wrote. “Small but highly influential groups can shape information and consumption patterns, influence democratic processes and steer economic dynamics to their advantage, thereby undermining social justice and solidarity among people.”
Pope Leo presented the encyclical at the Vatican’s Synod Hall on Monday, where he referenced the 1891 encyclical ‘Rerum Novarum’ (On New Things) written by his namesake, Pope Leo III, to address the challenges posed by the 19th century Industrial Revolution.
Leo said, “I have been entrusted with the responsibility of overseeing another great transformation through the eyes of faith, with clarity of reason, and with openness to the divine mystery, dealing with the poor and the vocation of the earth.”
He called for broader participation in the programming, regulation and benefits of AI, saying, “Disarming is not enough, we must build back up.”
Chris Olah during a podcast appearance in 2024. (video screen grab)
The Pope presented the document alongside high-ranking Vatican prelates, Catholic theologians and Chris Olah, co-founder of Anthropic, the American AI company behind the cloud that is pushing to brand itself as security-oriented and ethical.
Speaking at the event, Ola cited commercial concerns, geopolitical pressure, and pride and ambition, saying that AI development “operates inside a set of incentives and constraints that can sometimes make it difficult to do the right thing”.
That’s why, he said, “We need more of us in the world – religious communities, civil society, scholars, governments – to do what His Holiness has done here: take this seriously, look closely, and move events in a better direction.”
At the core of the encyclical is the insistence that humans be given priority over artificial intelligence. The dignity of the human person “does not depend on a person’s abilities, wealth, or position in life, nor on right or wrong choices,” but merely on the basis of survival, the encyclopedia argues.
In The Time of AI Chatbots, Leo wrote that the risk is not just that someone interacting with an AI agent may assume they are talking to a person, but that they may lose the desire to seek out other people. And delegating the decision-making process to machines “may lead to excessive reliance and the search for ready-made answers, and undermine individual creativity and judgment.”
In the document, the Pope recognizes the positive impact AI innovation can have on human society and the care of the environment, while also warning about its dangers. “Technology is never neutral,” Leo wrote, an expression of the interests and stakeholders behind it.
“When such power is concentrated in the hands of a few, it becomes opaque and escapes public oversight, increasing the risk of distorting forms of development that give rise to new dependencies, exclusions, manipulations and inequalities,” Leo wrote.
Pope Leo XIV arrives at the swearing-in ceremony of 28 new Pontifical Swiss Guards in the Vatican’s Paul VI Hall on May 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
Leo argued that applying moral and ethical principles to an AI model cannot happen once it has wreaked havoc on society – such values must be implemented in its creation. They wrote, “For AI to respect human dignity and truly serve the common good, responsibility must be clearly defined at every stage: from those who design and develop these systems to those who use them and rely on them to make concrete decisions.”
Criticizing officials who oppose restrictions on AI development, Leo pointed out that “Calling for prudence, rigorous assessment and even, at times, a slow pace in adopting AI does not mean opposing progress; instead, it is an exercise of responsible care for the human family.”
As for AI models adopting moral constitutions such as Anthropic, the Pope said such frameworks should still be discussed and subject to shared social justice norms. “A more ethical AI is not enough if morality is determined by a few people,” he wrote.
The document also draws on the popular Silicon Valley philosophies, transhumanism and posthumanism, which Pope defined as a series of assumptions “that interpret progress as transcending the human condition.”
These philosophies view limitations—including illness, disability, old age, and vulnerability—as something that must be overcome, Leo wrote, but “we must remember that humanity does not flourish.” despite this Limits, but often through them,” saying that life without limits would ultimately mean not being human.
Victor Manuel Fernandez, head of the Vatican’s doctrinal department, said in the presentation of the document that in contrast to these philosophies, which claim that “humanity has reached its expiration date and must simply be replaced,” Catholic teaching holds that “every human being has infinite dignity.”
Comparing the dangers of AI, Leo described truth as “an essential element of democracy” and urged people, especially youth, to get education on AI. While AI promises to reduce workload, Leo warned that “it often forces workers to adapt to the pace and demands of machines rather than machines designed to support those doing the work.”
The priority in this Fourth Industrial Revolution, Leo wrote, should be “the security of employment opportunities and the irreplaceable role of the individual.”
As global economic inequality increases, the Pope warned that “technological progress will inevitably create structural inequalities.” Leo called for tax systems that reduce the burden on the most vulnerable and demand more from those with more resources, while the benefits of innovations should be transparent and shared with the entire community.
The Pope warned against “new forms of slavery” while highlighting the traces of human and environmental exploitation behind AI – from training models on copyrighted material to the extraction of rare minerals used in AI hardware. Leo also reflected on the history of the Church’s attitude toward slavery, which was not fully condemned until the 19th century.th The centenary of Leo XIII highlights the slow evolution of Catholic doctrine over time.
“For this, in the name of the Church, I sincerely apologize,” Leo wrote.
People welcome Pope Leo XIV as he arrives in Yaoundé, Cameroon, on April 15, 2026, on the third day of his 11-day apostolic visit to Africa. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
Leo argued that colonialism has a “new face” that not only dominates bodies, but also appropriates data: health flows, epidemiological profiles, genetic maps, and demographic data. “These have become the new rare earths of power,” Leo said. He said that AI technology in the hands of a few profit-oriented individuals or groups represents a new form of colonial domination.
“Here lies one of the most urgent ethical challenges of our time: ensuring that shared knowledge becomes a genuine common good rather than a means of domination. This requires restoring to individuals not only the data that describes them, but also the ability to decide how it is used, by whom, and for whose benefit,” they wrote.
A lengthy portion of the document reflects on the subject of war, which the Pope has repeatedly condemned in his first year as Pope. Military use of AI “must be subject to the strictest ethical constraints,” he wrote, adding that responsibility for military, and especially lethal, action should rest not with machines, but with humans.
They called for traceability, for human oversight within wartime decision-making processes, and for the creation of international laws to address the increased use of automatic weapons and their consequences.
The document builds on the contributions of previous Popes, starting with Pope Leo XIII, and is based on Catholic social teaching, the Church’s tradition of applying moral principles to the social, economic and political life, with human dignity and the common good at its centre.
Solidarity and caring for one’s “neighbor” are key aspects of Leo’s reflection, with a special concern for the next generations.
Leo wrote, “Social justice is not just about the fair distribution of resources or the correction of current injustices, but also assumes a restorative dimension.” Applying the same principle to the digital sphere, the Pope warned against “new forms of exclusion and deprivation of liberty”, such as invasive surveillance, denying communities access to basic technologies and groups harmed by opaque algorithms that perpetuate discrimination.
In this context, he also addressed migration as “the litmus test for social justice today”.
In the introduction, Leo draws inspiration from the Bible to compare the city of Babylon’s quest for power and self-reliance and Nehemiah’s rebuilding of Jerusalem based on prayer and the participation of families and communities. It reflects the teachings of the papal religious order founded on the principles of St. Augustine, which contrasts the love of the earthly city with the longing for the heavenly city of God, structured around the concepts of power and dominion.
He wrote, “As throughout history, these two loves are still struggling for dominance in our hearts today. The age of AI is no exception: the building of Babel or the rebuilding of Jerusalem begins within each of us.”
The document has already received strong support from Catholics and technocrats.
“This is a historic opportunity for the world to look at a new technology and really think about it,” said Brian Patrick Green, director of technology ethics at Santa Clara University’s Markkula Center for Applied Ethics.
“What is the purpose of this technology? What should it do in the world? How can it help people? What do we need to do to make sure this technology can work best for the most people in the world?”
This story will be updated.
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