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Pope Leo XIV Issues Encyclical on AI, Calls for Regulation and Accountability

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Pope Leo XIV Releases "Magnifica Humanitas"

First encyclical addresses AI ethics, issues historic apology for Church's role in slavery

"Every design choice reflects a vision of humanity."

Pope Leo XIV released his first encyclical, "Magnifica Humanitas" (Magnificent Humanity), on May 15, addressing the ethical and societal implications of artificial intelligence. The document calls on governments, developers, and global leaders to ensure AI serves the common good and includes a historic apology for the Catholic Church's historical role in slavery.

Key Calls to Action

The encyclical urges the establishment of "robust legal frameworks, independent oversight, informed users and a political system that does not abdicate its responsibility" regarding AI. The pope called for AI to be "disarmed," warning against its use as an instrument of domination, exclusion, or death.

Specific appeals include:

  • Accountability of developers: The encyclical states that "every design choice reflects a vision of humanity" and appeals to developers to recognize their ethical and spiritual responsibility.

  • War and AI: The pope warned that AI is normalizing war and stated that lethal decisions must not be entrusted to technology. He noted that some autonomous weapons systems have advanced "practically beyond any human reach to govern them."

  • Workers and children: The document calls for protecting workers' rights and keeping children safe from AI-related harms.

  • Competition among tech firms: The encyclical urges AI companies to reduce competitive pressures that may conflict with ethical considerations.

Historical and Religious Context

Pope Leo invoked the biblical story of the Tower of Babel, warning that enterprises "aspiring to reach heaven without God's blessing" risk failure. The encyclical ties into a 135-year tradition of papal social teaching, marking the anniversary of Pope Leo XIII's "Rerum Novarum."

This is the first time a pope has made opposition to Big Tech the central theme of an entire encyclical. While previous popes addressed technology in limited sections, this document positions AI governance as a core religious and moral issue for the world's 1.4 billion Catholics.

Slavery Apology

In the same document, Pope Leo issued a historic apology for the Holy See's role in legitimizing slavery and failing to condemn it for centuries, calling it a "wound in Christian memory." He linked the historical slave trade to what he described as new forms of slavery and colonialism fueled by the digital revolution.

Reactions

"We operate inside a set of incentives and constraints that can sometimes conflict with doing the right thing." — Christopher Olah, co-founder of Anthropic

Christopher Olah, co-founder of Anthropic, spoke at the encyclical's presentation and stated that AI companies operate "inside a set of incentives and constraints that can sometimes conflict with doing the right thing." He thanked the pope for addressing the issues.

Vatican correspondent John Thavis said the encyclical is expected to serve as a landmark reference in the AI debate.

Academic Anna Rowlands noted that popes have for over a century cautioned the world "will not be saved by the market," and that Pope Leo now cautions that humanity will not be "saved" by AI.

Historian Shannen Dee Williams called the apology for slavery "a monumental step toward the kind of essential truth-telling and reparation."

Impact of Papal Encyclicals

Papal encyclicals have a mixed record of producing substantive change. For example, "Pacem in Terris" is credited with backing the Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, while "Laudato Si'" on climate change has seen limited government action.

"Humanity will not be saved by AI." — Pope Leo XIV