Pope Leo XIV Calls for Global AI Regulation in First Encyclical

Pope Leo XIV released his first encyclical on May 25, 2026, titled Magnifica Humanitas, meaning "Magnificent Humanity." The document, running more than 42,000 words, calls on world leaders, corporations, and individuals to place ethical guardrails on artificial intelligence before its effects become irreversible.

The encyclical was released on the 135th anniversary of Pope Leo XIII's Rerum Novarum, a landmark text on labor rights during the Industrial Revolution. The timing was deliberate. Leo XIV drew direct parallels between the disruptions of industrialization and the current AI moment, warning that automation threatens to create a class of people in "forced inactivity."

"Technology is not inherently evil," the Pope wrote, "but it is never neutral. It reflects the values and interests of those who create and control it."

The document calls for independent oversight bodies, public accountability measures, and legal frameworks to prevent a small number of private actors from controlling AI systems that affect billions of people. Leo XIV specifically warned against autonomous weapons, saying they are becoming increasingly difficult to control and may make warfare more frequent.

The encyclical was presented at the Vatican alongside Christopher Olah, a co-founder of the AI firm Anthropic. The Vatican framed the event as an opening for dialogue between the Church and the technology industry.

On labor, the Pope argued that technology should support human work, not force humans to adapt to the speed of machines. He also addressed AI-generated misinformation, calling for improved digital literacy education for children and young people.

In a significant historical gesture, Leo XIV used the encyclical to apologize for the Catholic Church's past role in legitimizing slavery, describing it as a "wound in Christian memory." He linked that history to what he called "new forms of slavery" emerging from the digital economy.

The document also addressed the environmental cost of AI, noting its high energy and water consumption, and called for policies that protect migrants, refugees, and minorities from being left behind as automation reshapes economies.

Reactions from evangelical leaders were mixed. Some welcomed the moral clarity on labor and human dignity. Others noted that the document's call for regulation could conflict with free-market principles held by many Protestant communities.

The encyclical is expected to influence AI policy debates at the United Nations and in the European Union, where regulators are already preparing major enforcement actions against Big Tech platforms.