Pope Leo warns of AI risks, urges global regulation

Pope Leo XIV has called on world leaders to implement rigorous ethical constraints on the development and use of artificial intelligence systems, warning that they have increasingly become instruments of war and misinformation. In his first major formal teaching document, an encyclical titled "Magnifica Humanitas" (Magnificent Humanity), issued on Monday, the pontiff expressed deep concern over AI's role in prioritizing conflicts and potentially leading the world into "endless wars."

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the development and use of AI in warfare must be subject to the most rigorous ethical constraints, to guarantee respect for human dignity and the sanctity of life and to avoid a race to develop such arms.

The encyclical, a significant text for the Catholic Church's 1.4 billion members, centers AI as its primary theme while also touching upon violence between nations and the historical transatlantic slave trade. Pope Leo XIV, the first US-born pontiff, described the use of AI in warfare as a "troubling revival of war as an instrument of international politics." He stressed that delegating lethal decisions to technology is unacceptable and that "no algorithm can make war morally acceptable."

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a troubling revival of war as an instrument of international politics.

Furthermore, the Pope highlighted the growing concentration of power over digital systems, infrastructure, and data in the hands of major economic and technological entities, a phenomenon some scholars term "technofeudalism." He warned that such concentrated power, often opaque and evading public oversight, risks creating "distorted forms of development that give rise to new dependencies, exclusions, manipulations and inequalities." To prevent misuse, particularly in warfare, he urged the "disarming" of AI systems and called for strong oversight from religious leaders, civil society, and governments.

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when power is concentrated “in the hands of the few, it tends to become opaque and evade public oversight, increasing the risk of distorted forms of development that give rise to new dependencies, exclusions, manipulations and inequalities.”

The pontiff's stance on AI and war has drawn criticism, notably from former US President Donald Trump, who had previously attacked the Pope, calling him "weak on crime" and suggesting his papacy was contingent on Trump's presidency. Pope Leo XIV, however, maintained his position, stating that such attacks did not sway him. The 235-page encyclical also expresses concern over the disregard for multilateral organizations.

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If I wasn’t in the White House, Leo wouldn’t be in the Vatican.