Pope calls for robust regulation of AI in manifesto that ponders the future of humanity

Pope Leo XIV yesterday called for strict regulation of artificial intelligence, warning that the technology risks concentrating power, undermining human dignity and transforming warfare. In “Magnifica Humanitas,” his first encyclical, the first U.S.-born pope described AI as one of humanity’s defining challenges and criticized the profit-driven race to develop increasingly powerful systems.
Leo said it was “not permissible” to allow AI systems to make irreversible lethal decisions, a stance likely to deepen tensions with the Trump administration, which has pushed for looser AI regulation. He also warned against leaving ethical decisions in the hands of a small number of private companies controlling vast amounts of data and technological power.
The Vatican presented the document alongside representatives from Anthropic, part of a broader effort to engage Silicon Valley in discussions over AI’s social consequences. Experts from academia, industry and Catholic institutions said the encyclical could become a major reference point in global debates over AI governance. Leo urged governments, developers and researchers to prioritize humanity over profit, arguing that moral reflection and independent oversight are essential as AI rapidly reshapes society. He said technological progress without accountability risked deepening inequality, exploitation, social isolation and conflict.