Pope Leo XIV called for robust regulation of artificial intelligence on Monday and for its developers to work for the common good rather than profit.
"Artificial intelligence needs to be disarmed," Leo said. "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."
In his first encyclical, titled Magnifica Humanitas - or Magnificent Humanity - Leo also apologised for the Catholic Church's role in slavery. He said with the advent of AI, the world is once again in danger of normalising the exploitation of humans.
It is "impossible not to feel deep sorrow when contemplating the immense suffering and humiliation endured by so many," Leo wrote in the document.
"If technology promises emancipation, yet produces new forms of global subordination, it stands in contradiction to the fundamental principle of human dignity. The fight against new forms of slavery is a decisive test for the ethical discernment of AI."
