Pope Leo XIV tells Vatican press conference AI must be ‘disarmed’ for humanity’s sake
Pope Leo XIV tells Vatican press conference AI must be ‘disarmed’ for humanity’s sake
Publish Date: 2026-05-26 09:01:00
Source Domain: www.catholicregister.org
- Pope Leo XIV calls for vigilance at a Vatican press conference on May 25, emphasizing the need to “disarm” artificial intelligence (AI), following his first encyclical titled “Magnifica Humanitas: On Safeguarding the Human Person in the Time of Artificial Intelligence.”
- The pope has consulted with a range of individuals, including scientists, engineers, policymakers, educators, parents, and industry leaders, including tech executives who raised concerns about AI’s potential dangers.
- Pope Leo XIV highlights the risks posed by autonomous weapons systems beyond effective human control and algorithms that can discriminate based on prejudiced data, indicating a need for rigorous ethical controls on AI.
- The pope draws parallels between AI and nuclear energy, asserting that both technologies must serve the common good and not become instruments of domination, urging proactive peacebuilding and an outdated “just war” theory against unregulated AI use.
- During the press conference, tech executive Christopher Olah warned of the potential for large-scale human labor displacement by AI, underscoring the necessity for impartial oversight in AI development.
- The pope emphasizes the importance of rebuilding, rather than merely restoring, relationships and trust in the context of AI, analogous to his experience rebuilding after floods in Peru.
- Pope Leo XIV concludes by inviting Catholics and the public to seriously engage with AI’s challenges, stressing the unique and irreplaceable value of every individual as a free, intelligent, and moral being.
