Pope Leo XIV has released his first encyclical, Magnifica humanitas, warning that artificial intelligence must never be allowed to dominate humanity, concentrate power in the hands of a few, or normalize war and social control.
Published on May 25 to mark the 135th anniversary of Pope Leo XIII’s landmark social encyclical Rerum novarum, the new document presents what the Holy Father describes as the Church’s response to the growing challenges of the digital age. According to Vatican News, Pope Leo XIV said humanity now faces a defining choice: “either to construct a new Tower of Babel or to build the city in which God and humanity dwell together.”
The Pope stressed that technology itself is not evil, but warned it is never neutral because it reflects the intentions and values of those who create and control it. He called on society to ensure technological progress serves “the common good” while preserving human dignity, freedom, truth, and peace.
In the encyclical, Pope Leo repeatedly emphasized that every human person possesses inherent dignity because each person is created in the image of God. He warned against systems that reduce people to productivity, data, or economic usefulness. According to Vatican News, the Pope wrote that “the fundamental dignity of each person…is neither acquired nor earned, nor does it need to be justified.”
The Holy Father also reaffirmed core Catholic teachings on the sanctity of life, describing abortion, euthanasia, and the killing of the innocent as “choices that the Church considers gravely wrong.”
A major focus of Magnifica humanitas is the growing influence of artificial intelligence in warfare, economics, media, and public life. Pope Leo warned that AI systems could increasingly shape decisions about healthcare, employment, security, and even military conflict without proper moral accountability. During a Vatican presentation of the encyclical, he said artificial intelligence “already touches many areas of our lives and affects decisions that shape human coexistence,” while also “dramatically changing how war is waged.”
The Pope delivered one of the strongest warnings yet from the Vatican regarding AI-driven warfare and social control. He declared that “artificial intelligence needs to be disarmed,” explaining that technology must be freed from “logics of domination, exclusion or death.”
He further warned that no algorithm can make war morally acceptable. According to Vatican News, Pope Leo wrote that AI risks making conflict “more impersonal,” lowering the threshold for violence while reducing human beings to mere data points.
The encyclical also condemns systems that allow technology and wealth to become concentrated among elites while leaving vulnerable people behind. Pope Leo warned against digital systems that manipulate opinions, exploit human weaknesses, or discriminate against the poor and marginalized. He specifically called migrants and refugees a “litmus test” for social justice, urging nations to provide humane treatment, legal protections, and opportunities for integration.
The Holy Father also addressed the Church directly, calling for an “examination of conscience” regarding abuse, inequality, and misuse of authority within ecclesial structures. He said justice requires listening to victims of “spiritual, economic, institutional, sexual and power-based abuse,” while ensuring accountability and reform.
Despite the warnings, Pope Leo did not reject technology itself. Instead, he encouraged Catholics and all people of goodwill to help shape AI ethically and responsibly. Reflecting on his missionary experience in Peru following devastating floods, the Pope said rebuilding society means restoring relationships and hope, because “no one rebuilds alone.”
The Pope concluded by urging Christians to reject a “culture of power” and instead help build what he called a “civilization of love.” According to Vatican News, he invited believers to navigate the technological age through the light of the Gospel and to continue bearing witness to “the grandeur of humanity, in which God has made His dwelling.”
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