Pope Leo XIV on Monday issued a comprehensive encyclical titled *Magnifica Humanitas* (“Magnificent Humanity”) that addresses the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) and calls for stringent ethical oversight and regulation. The 70-year-old American pontiff, the first from the United States, framed AI as a defining challenge of the modern era, likening its unchecked advancement to the biblical Tower of Babel—a symbol of human pride leading to fragmentation and dehumanization.

In the Vatican presentation of the 235-page document, the Pope emphasized that technology itself is not inherently opposed to humanity but warned that without careful guidance, AI risks reducing people “to mere cogs in a system driven toward ever greater efficiency.” He stressed that the future choice is not to reject technology outright but “between constructing Babel or rebuilding Jerusalem,” the latter representing a collaborative, humane society.

The encyclical called for limiting the role of private corporations, particularly major tech firms concentrated in Silicon Valley, in determining AI’s trajectory. Pope Leo cautioned against allowing a handful of powerful actors who control algorithms, datasets, and infrastructure to shape AI’s moral framework exclusively, as this could perpetuate inequality, exclusion, and new forms of digital dependency. The Pope urged governments worldwide to establish “robust legal frameworks, independent oversight, informed users, and a political system that does not abdicate its responsibility.”

A strong critique was made of AI’s deployment in warfare. Leo highlighted the growing risks posed by autonomous weapons systems that operate beyond meaningful human control. He declared it “not permissible” to delegate lethal decisions to machines and warned such use lowers the moral threshold for violence, increasing the danger of impersonal and accelerated conflict. This position places the Vatican at odds with policymakers who favor deregulation, including the Trump administration, which had previously delayed proposed safeguards for AI development.

Alongside the Pope, Christopher Olah, co-founder of the AI company Anthropic, spoke at the Vatican event, underscoring the need for moral voices outside the tech industry to hold developers accountable. Olah highlighted the tension between commercial pressures and ethical responsibilities within AI firms and supported the Pope’s call for broader societal engagement in AI oversight. Anthropic has resisted certain military contracts, reflecting these ethical concerns.

The encyclical also addresses social implications of AI, warning that the pursuit of profit must not justify mass job displacement or undermine human dignity. Work is described not simply as income but as intrinsic to human maturation and fulfillment. Leo condemned “new forms of slavery” emerging from digital exploitation and apologized for the Catholic Church’s historical complicity in the transatlantic slave trade, a move hailed as unprecedented.

Beyond economic and military challenges, the Pope flagged psychological risks AI poses to children, with early exposure to digital devices potentially harming attention, emotional regulation, and relationships. He urged that AI be developed and used in ways that foster human relational capacities and protect vulnerable populations.

While some observers note the encyclical’s theological language and its primary audience as the Catholic faithful, others view it as a significant intervention into global AI debates. The document draws on the legacy of Pope Leo XIII’s 1891 *Rerum Novarum*, which addressed socioeconomic upheaval during the Industrial Revolution, by framing AI as the technological revolution of the 21st century with comparable ethical stakes.

Pope Leo XIV’s message, articulated through weighted biblical metaphors and moral reasoning, urges a cautious and human-centered approach to AI—advocating for collaboration across religious, political, and technological spheres to ensure that emerging technologies serve the common good rather than unchecked power or profit.