Pope Leo XIV Issues First Encyclical Calling for Global AI Regulation and Warning Against Autonomous Weapons

Pope Leo XIV released his first major encyclical, titled "Magnifica Humanitas" (Magnificent Humanity), on May 25, 2026. The document calls for global regulation of artificial intelligence and warns against the risks of autonomous weapons systems.

The encyclical was signed on May 15, the 135th anniversary of Pope Leo XIII's social encyclical "Rerum Novarum." The Pope presented the document at the Vatican alongside Christopher Olah, co-founder of the AI firm Anthropic.

The document argues that technology is not inherently evil, but it is not neutral either. Its impact depends on those who design, finance, and regulate it. The Pope warns against a "technocratic paradigm" that prioritizes efficiency and profit over human well-being.

A central appeal in the document is the "disarming" of AI. The Pope does not call for rejecting technology, but demands freeing it from military, economic, and competitive domination. He warns that AI is facilitating the "normalization of war" and that autonomous weapons systems threaten to make conflict more feasible and less subject to human accountability.

The encyclical also addresses work and economics, drawing parallels to "Rerum Novarum." The Pope expresses concern that rapid automation could displace workers and lead to "forced inactivity," and insists that the pursuit of profit must not justify the systematic sacrifice of jobs.

In a significant move, the Pope calls for an "examination of conscience" within the Church and formally apologizes for the Church's historical delay in condemning slavery, describing it as a "wound in Christian memory."

Pope Leo XIV is the first American-born pontiff and has identified AI as a central concern since the beginning of his papacy.