Pope Leo takes on Silicon Valley in landmark AI encyclical
Pope Leo takes on Silicon Valley in landmark AI encyclical
Publish Date: 2026-05-25 11:48:00
Source Domain: www.rfi.fr
- Call for Slower AI Development: Pope Leo urges governments to slow down the rapid development of artificial intelligence to prevent its spread of misinformation, prioritization of conflict, and contribution to unending war.
- Ownership and Use of AI Data: He advocates against leaving AI data ownership solely in private hands, calling for ethical use and prohibiting its use in warfare.
- Human Rights and Safeguarding: The pope emphasizes the importance of safeguarding the rights of workers and protecting children in the context of AI technology.
- Political Oversight and Ethical Guidelines: Pope Leo highlights the necessity for more political involvement, robust legal frameworks, and ethical guidelines to determine AI’s morality, not just determined by a few powerful entities.
- Rejection of ‘Just War’ Theory: He repudiates the ‘just war’ theory, asserting that the use of force and violence reflects relational poverty and always has disastrous consequences for civilians.
- New Forms of Slavery: Pope Leo condemns modern “new forms of slavery” imposed on workers, especially children and adolescents, who toil in dangerous conditions to produce the materials necessary for AI technology.
- Apology for Historical Omissions: He formally apologizes for the Catholic Church’s late condemnation of transatlantic slavery and condemns the dangerous extraction processes for rare earth elements used in AI.
