Pope Leo XIV has called for the world to disarm artificial intelligence in his major new document “Magnifica Humanitas.”
Therein, he warns that AI could dominate and harm humanity if leaders do not act now. The Pope released the encyclical on May 25. This date marks 135 years since Pope Leo XIII wrote Rerum Novarum, an encyclical discussing social justice, workers’ rights and the ethics of capital and labour.
He presented the document at a Vatican event alongside tech leader Christopher Olah, co-founder of Anthropic.
In clear words, Pope Leo says AI must serve people, not control them. He stresses that technology should support the full dignity of every human made in God’s image. At the centre of his message stands a strong call to disarm AI.
“To disarm does not mean rejecting technology,” he wrote, “but preventing it from dominating humanity.”
Leo says this will require breaking up control held by a few big companies, setting strict rules on weapons that use AI, and making sure the technology stays open, honest and focused on the good of all people rather than profit or power.
The Pope has raised sharp warnings about AI’s dangers. He says machines should never make final decisions about killing or other irreversible choices. He questions old ideas of “just war” in a world of smart weapons and pushes for dialogue and forgiveness instead.
On another note, the document emphasizes that AI can copy some parts of thinking but lacks a real body, feelings, conscience, or the ability to grow through relationships. It works with patterns in data but does not truly understand joy, pain, or responsibility. Over-reliance could weaken human creativity, thinking skills, real friendships and the value of work, the manifesto highlights. Another point notes that fake AI “empathy” can make lonely people even less interested in real human connections, thereby leading to mental health issues.
“They may imitate or even simulate, but they do not understand what they produce, for they lack the affective, relational, and spiritual perspective through which human beings grow in wisdom,” he said on X Friday.
The religious leader also fears that power could slide into the hands of a few secret companies, leaving ordinary people and governments with little say. Pope Leo is calling for strong global rules, fair use of data, better education and protection of the environment from AI’s heavy use of energy and water.
In Magnifica Humanitas, he described AI as something “cultivated” like a plant more than simply built, with creators often unaware of how it fully works inside.
#AI can be a valuable tool and, at the same time, it calls for a measured and vigilant approach. The speed and simplicity with which practical assistance can be accessed undoubtedly makes life easier. Yet they can also encourage excessive reliance and the search for ready-made…
— Pope Leo XIV (@Pontifex) May 29, 2026
Read more: Half of Japanese women and girls turn to AI for life advice
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