Pope Leo Calls for AI to Be "Disarmed" and Robustly Regulated in New Manifesto

Pope Leo XIV has issued a significant manifesto, "Magnifica Humanitas" (Magnificent Humanity), advocating for the "disarming" and robust regulation of artificial intelligence (AI) to safeguard humanity. Released on May 25, 2026, the encyclical calls for AI to be freed from systems that could turn it into a tool of domination, exclusion, or death, emphasizing that technology should serve humanity rather than control it. This marks the first encyclical from Pope Leo XIV, who is identified in reports as the first U.S.-born pope.

The Pope's manifesto warns against the "culture of power" driving the rapid development of AI, particularly in military applications, and asserts that lethal decisions should not be entrusted to AI systems. It also highlights concerns regarding AI's potential to exacerbate inequalities by concentrating wealth, replacing human jobs, fueling disinformation, and contributing to environmental damage through the extraction of rare earth elements. Pope Leo XIV stresses the importance of an ethical framework and shared standards of social justice to guide AI's evolution, advocating for "human-friendly" and accessible technology that promotes human dignity and the common good.

Experts suggest "Magnifica Humanitas" could become a foundational document in discussions about AI, similar to the influence of Pope Francis's "Laudato Si" on climate issues. The Vatican also presented the encyclical with the co-founder of AI firm Anthropic, which is reportedly in a legal dispute with the U.S. military over the use of its technology for autonomous warfare and surveillance.