In office for a year: Pope Leo XIV. Image: keystone
May 25, 2026, 1:38 p.mMay 25, 2026, 1:38 p.m
In his first encyclical, Pope Leo XIV called for strict guidelines for dealing with artificial intelligence (AI). After a year in office, the head of 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide warned in the letter of numerous dangers that the new technology poses for human coexistence. But he also sees opportunities. The more than 100-page long treatise bears the title Magnifica Humanitas (Great humanity).
The first encyclical of a new pope’s term of office is often seen as a kind of government declaration for his pontificate. Such “circulars” – this is the literal meaning – are intended to give believers around the world a moral compass. As the successor to the late Pope Francis, Leo has been in office since May last year. He is the first American to head the world Catholic Church and, at 70, a relatively young pope.
“On the preservation of humanity in the age of AI”
The letter is subtitled “On the preservation of humanity in the age of artificial intelligence”. Leo emphasizes that AI can be a “valuable help” in various areas. Above all, however, he warns of their risks – for example, that only a few people who already own a lot of property benefit from them. “Small, very influential groups can direct information and consumption, condition democratic processes and influence economic dynamics.”
It is therefore “essential that the use of AI – especially when it comes to public goods and fundamental rights – is accompanied by clear criteria and effective controls.” The ownership of user data also needs to be regulated. The Pope emphasizes several times that AI must be geared towards morals and human values. However, this is of no use “if this morality is determined by a few”. This is often understood as criticism of tech billionaires in the USA.
“Wound in Christian Memory”
In his first encyclical, Pope Leo XIV also asked for an apology for the role of the Catholic Church in the age of slavery. He acknowledged that his church only strongly condemned the slave trade, which lasted for many centuries, in the 19th century. “This is a wound in Christian memory,” the letter says. “For this I sincerely ask for forgiveness on behalf of the church.”
Leo spoke in connection with the question of what artificial intelligence (AI) means for the world of work. His text talks about “new forms of slavery” – for example in AI data centers or in the production of microchips or technical devices such as computers or smartphones in which AI is used. In some regions of the world, children and young people also worked in dangerous conditions. “Bodies are injured, mutilated and used up so that the flow of data does not come to a standstill,” said the Pope. “This reality presents a major challenge to the moral conscience of our time.” (sda/dpa)
Autonomous weapon systems should not be allowed to make decisions
The pontiff was particularly critical of the effects of artificial intelligence on conflicts. AI-supported autonomous weapon systems have made wars “more feasible,” the letter says. However, the AI must be “disarmed”. Under no circumstances should machines alone decide about life and death. It literally says: “It is therefore not permissible to entrust fatal or at least irreversible decisions to artificial systems.”
Leo XIV himself was present at the presentation of his first encyclical in the Vatican – a first for the church. In addition to high-ranking cardinals and theologians, the co-founder of the AI group Anthropic, the tech billionaire Chris Olah, was also present. The US company is in dispute with President Donald Trump because it does not want to make its AI models available for autonomous weapon systems. Trump had recently criticized both Anthropic and the Pope several times.
“Let’s stay true to the truth”
In his teaching letter, Leo also warns against falling for AI lies and fakes: “Let’s stay true to the truth!” Decisions and preferences could easily be influenced by the “incessant flows of information, opinions and images” with increasingly sophisticated algorithms. At the height of his dispute with the Pope, Trump released an AI-generated image depicting himself as Jesus. The US President is not mentioned in the encyclical.
The Pope emphasizes several times in the text that people or the human element must come first despite all technological advances. “No computer system, no matter how sophisticated, creates a heart that gives itself or a conscience that recognizes the good.”
Pope refers to predecessor Leo XIII.
The encyclical is dated May 15th. On this day it was exactly 135 years since Leo’s namesake, Leo XIII. published his encyclical “Rerum novarum” (“On New Things”). In doing so, the “worker pope” laid the foundations for Catholic social teaching as a result of the industrial revolution. Some experts are already calling the new letter “AI social cyclicals”.
Such teaching letters from popes have existed since the 18th century. They are usually named after their first two or three words. Leo’s “Magnifica Humanitas” begins with the sentence: “The great humanity created by God is today faced with a crucial choice: either it builds a new Tower of Babel or it builds the city in which God and humanity dwell together.” The biblical parable of the Tower of Babel is a symbol of human pride and megalomania.
The current Pope’s namesake, Leo XIII, published more than 90 encyclicals during his time in office. The pontiff from the USA repeatedly refers to him. Many therefore expect that he will also write many such teaching letters – also because Leo is expected to be in office for a long time. Pope Francis, his immediate predecessor, published four encyclicals in twelve years in office. (sda/dpa)