Pope Leo XIV calls for strict AI limits, apologises for Church’s historical role in slavery
Pope Leo XIV has issued a strong warning on the future of technology in his first major papal letter, calling for artificial intelligence to be effectively disarmed.
The pontiff used the encyclical, titled Magnifica Humanitas, or Magnificent Humanity, to argue that AI must be restrained so it serves the common good rather than becoming a tool of control. An encyclical is a high-level letter sent by the Pope to Catholic bishops worldwide to clarify church teaching.
By making AI ethics a central theme of his first major statement, Pope Leo XIV signaled that establishing moral boundaries around emerging technologies is one of the most urgent challenges facing humanity.
"Artificial intelligence needs to be disarmed," the Pope said. "The word is strong, I know, but deliberately chosen because this moment needs words capable of attracting attention, awakening consciousness and showing future paths for humanity."
