Pope Leo warns of AI’s risks to humanity in his first encyclical

Pope Leo XIV declares AI to be one of the defining moral challenges of our time in his first encyclical, “Magnafica Humanitas.”
The encyclical stresses that technology must serve humanity and human dignity, rather than reducing people to mere components in a system focused on efficiency.
It warns that AI is inherently influenced by the motivations and values of those who create, regulate, and use it and calls for ethical oversight and social justice.
The encyclical criticizes the use of AI in warfare, emphasizing rigorous ethical constraints on AI-developed weapons to preserve human control.
Pope Leo XIV introduces a moral framework for the AI revolution, akin to his predecessor’s response to the Industrial Revolution, aiming to shape human dignity and social responsibility in the era of technology.
Emphasizes that moral responsibility cannot be outsourced to automated systems, opposing transhumanist ideas of overcoming human limitations through technology.
The encyclical underlines the importance of a ‘civilization of love’ that prioritizes human dignity, justice, and compassion over a ‘culture of power.’
It aims to influence the public conversation and moral imagination surrounding AI, stressing the significance of establishing moral limits for the technological advancements of our time.