Pope Leo XIV launches landmark AI manifesto on ethics, warning of risks to humanity

Pope Leo XIV will on Monday unveil a major encyclical on artificial intelligence (AI), setting out the Catholic Church’s position on the ethical dangers and societal impact of the fast-growing technology.

The pontiff will personally attend the Vatican presentation of “Magnifica Humanitas”, a first for a papal document of this kind.

The event will include Vatican officials and leading technology figures, including the co-founder of US AI firm Anthropic, which plays a key role in global AI development.

Anthropic is currently in a legal dispute with the US military after refusing to adjust its internal rule barring the use of its Claude model for autonomous lethal weapons or mass surveillance.

Pope Leo has strongly criticised the use of AI in warfare, warning that “delegating decisions concerning the life and death of human beings to machines” leads to a “destructive spiral.”

Since becoming the first US pope, he has repeatedly cautioned about AI’s societal risks, including “the gradual replacement of reality by its simulation.”

He has also condemned environmental damage linked to the global race for rare earth minerals used in electronics.

According to the United Nations, artificial intelligence could generate up to $4.8 trillion by 2033, though wealth may be concentrated among a few dominant players.

UN chief António Guterres has warned that “the window is closing to shape AI — for peace, for justice, for humanity.”

The Vatican says the encyclical continues its tradition of social doctrine focused on protecting human dignity amid technological change.

Signed on May 15, it marks 135 years since Pope Leo XIII’s 1891 encyclical that helped shape Church teachings during the Industrial Revolution.

Observers say “Magnifica Humanitas” could have influence comparable to Pope Francis’s Laudato Si, which reshaped global climate discourse.

Academic Marijana Grbesa said the Church views AI as a transformative force requiring public education and awareness.

She said: “At the time, it was necessary to train individuals in the use of tools. The same is true today,” but warned that “education is not enough today.”

Grbesa added the document serves as “a wake-up call for the whole of civilisation” to use AI responsibly.

Pope Leo has emphasised “digital literacy” as essential for understanding how algorithms influence human perception.

He has also warned against AI-driven “polarisation, conflict, fear, and violence,” and criticised the lack of transparency in algorithm development.

Africans Angle News