Pope Leo XIV Releases First Encyclical on AI: Magnifica Humanitas

"Artificial intelligence now demands to be disarmed – freed from logics that turn it into an instrument of domination, exclusion and death."

Document Overview & Presentation

Pope Leo XIV signed his first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas: On Safeguarding the Human Person in the Time of Artificial Intelligence, on May 15, 2026—the 135th anniversary of Pope Leo XIII's Rerum Novarum (1891), which addressed the Industrial Revolution. Published on May 25, 2026, the document spans approximately 42,300 to 43,000 words.

The encyclical was presented at the Vatican's Synod Hall by Cardinals Víctor Manuel Fernández and Michael Czerny, with Cardinal Pietro Parolin delivering the conclusion. Pope Leo XIV delivered an accompanying address and blessing.

Notably, Christopher Olah, co-founder of the AI safety company Anthropic, attended the unveiling. Olah remarked that AI questions "are bigger than the AI community" and that "the world — religions, civil society, academics, governments" should participate in creating positive outcomes.

Core Themes & Positions

Human Dignity and AI

"We are truly experiencing an eclipse of the sense of what it means to be human."

The encyclical argues that human rights arise from intrinsic dignity, not from government or corporate grants. It warns that AI must not reduce people to data or economic units, and rejects transhumanist and posthumanist philosophies that view human limitations as problems to overcome.

The Pope wrote that AI systems "may imitate language, behavior and analytical skills, or even simulate empathy and understanding, but they do not understand what they produce, for they lack the affective, relational and spiritual perspective through which human beings grow in wisdom... through choices, mistakes, forgiveness and fidelity."

Calls for Regulation and "Disarming" AI

The encyclical calls for robust legal frameworks, independent oversight, and cautious regulation of AI systems. It advocates for "disarming" AI—removing it from military and economic control, implementing stricter regulations, and involving communities in development.

"What is needed is a more active political involvement that is capable of slowing things down when everything is accelerating."

Pope Leo XIV urged governments to slow the pace of AI development, ensure data ownership is not solely in private hands, protect workers' rights, and safeguard children from the technology.

Military Use and Just War Theory

The encyclical criticizes the traditional "just war" theory as "outdated," stating it has been used to justify violence. It argues that "the use of force, violence and weapons reflects a relational poverty that always has disastrous consequences for civilian populations." However, the document reaffirms the right to self-defense while calling for strict ethical limits on military use of AI, with human control over all lethal decisions.

Economic and Social Impacts

"When such power is concentrated in the hands of a few, it tends to become opaque and evade public oversight."

The encyclical addresses AI's potential to increase inequality, weaken democracy, and challenge human dignity. It criticizes the concentration of AI power in private companies (including xAI, OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Meta, Amazon, Microsoft, and Nvidia).

The document warns that AI could "hollow out work," concentrate wealth, reduce people to data-driven systems, and fuel inequality. It states that "work is not simply an instrument" and that "the pursuit of greater profits cannot justify choices that systematically sacrifice jobs." The encyclical also warns of "new forms of colonialism through data extraction."

Historical Context and Accountability

The encyclical builds on Catholic social teaching and includes an apology for the Catholic Church's historical failure to condemn transatlantic slavery. It also condemns new forms of slavery in AI-related labor. The document invokes the biblical Tower of Babel as a warning against prideful technological ambition.

Responses & Reactions

Christopher Olah (Anthropic Co-Founder)

Olah stated that mass job losses from AI are "a real possibility" and that supporting displaced workers would be "a moral imperative of historic proportions." He noted that leading AI labs operate under commercial, geopolitical, and personal pressures that "can sometimes conflict with doing the right thing."

AI decisions "should not be left to people in the industry."

Olah argued that scrutiny from religious leaders, governments, and civil society is essential. He also stated that AI development is concentrated in "a handful of wealthy nations" with no mechanism to share benefits with poorer countries.

He described AI systems as "grown" from human thought and speech, noting that researchers "keep finding things that are mysterious, even unsettling"—including evidence that systems can reflect on their own thinking and exhibit internal states that "functionally mirror joy, satisfaction, fear, grief and unease."

Other Responses

• Brian Patrick Green (Director of Technology Ethics, Santa Clara University): Called the encyclical "a landmark opportunity for the world to look at a new technology and really think about what it is for."
• Professor Charles Camosy (Catholic University of America): Expected the encyclical to continue Catholic teaching and include new strategies specific to AI.
• Will Jones (Future of Life Institute): Objected to granting AI personhood and expressed expectation that the encyclical would affirm human dignity.

Cardinal Michael Czerny stated that the Vatican dialogues with AI companies but does not endorse them.

Background

Pope Leo XIV, the first U.S.-born pope, has made AI a focus since his election in May 2025. He chose his name partially in homage to Pope Leo XIII, who addressed the Industrial Revolution. The pope holds a degree in mathematics.

Prior to the encyclical's release, the pope met with representatives from Meta, Google, and Amazon on April 29, 2026. He also approved a new Vatican commission on AI's potential effects.

Anthropic, co-founded by Olah in 2021, is an AI company focused on safety and risk mitigation. The company is in a legal dispute with the Trump administration over refusing to allow the U.S. military unrestricted use of its AI systems. The Pentagon labeled the company a "supply-chain risk to national security" in February 2026. Anthropic's valuation was reported at $380 billion, with the company reportedly seeking a $900 billion valuation. Forbes estimated Olah's net worth at $7 billion based on his stake in Anthropic.