Pope Leo XIV issued a comprehensive encyclical Monday demanding robust external regulation of artificial intelligence, warning that unchecked concentration of power and data in the hands of a few private sector entities poses significant dangers to society and calling for political leaders to reassert regulatory authority over the rapidly evolving technology sector.
The first encyclical from history's first U.S.-born pope, titled "Magnifica Humanitas" (Magnificent Humanity), addresses what Leo XIV identified days after his election as the biggest challenge facing humanity today. The document represents one of the most authoritative types of teaching a pope can issue and has already drawn recognition from experts as a potential benchmark in AI policy debates.
Concentration of Power and Regulatory Framework
Leo XIV repeatedly criticized the concentration of power and data in the hands of so few people in the private sector as a danger, especially to children and the most vulnerable. He wrote that "it is not enough to invoke ethics in the abstract; robust legal frameworks, independent oversight, informed users and a political system that does not abdicate its responsibility are required." The pope added that "a more moral AI is not enough if that morality is determined by a few."
The encyclical explicitly rejected reliance on industry self-regulation, appealing to AI developers and political leaders responsible for regulating them to slow down and reflect on what they are doing. Leo urged them to use ethical and spiritual guidelines to make the choice to work not for their own profit or power, but the betterment of humanity.
Economic Concerns and Labor Displacement
The Vatican launch included remarks by Anthropic co-founder Christopher Olah, whose company is currently locked in a legal battle with the Trump administration over access to its AI technology. Olah acknowledged the "real possibility that AI will displace human labor at a very large scale" and welcomed external checks as fundamental to the technology "going well" for humankind. He said, "We need more of the world — religious communities, civil society, scholars, governments — to do what His Holiness has done here: to take this seriously, to look closely, and to push events in a better direction."
Leo traced the history of Catholic social teaching and applied its core concepts to the digital revolution, signing the text May 15, the 135th anniversary of the publication of "Rerum Novarum" (Of New Things) by his namesake Pope Leo XIII. That document addressed workers' rights, the limits of capitalism, and the obligations that states and employers owed workers as the Industrial Revolution was underway. Leo said the current AI revolution poses the same existential questions, writing that "the pursuit of greater profits cannot justify choices that systematically sacrifice jobs, because the human person is an end, not a means, and the economic order must remain subordinate to human dignity and the common good."
The pope noted that the world's wealth "is increasingly concentrated in fewer hands, widening inequalities." In the age of AI and robotics, he said it is no longer possible to rely solely on the "invisible hand" of the market, urging politicians to orient policies toward "the common good" and to promote "dignified work, social inclusion and an equitable distribution of the benefits of innovation."
National Security and Warfare
In what experts described as among the strongest chapters, Leo said the "culture of power" driving the AI race was especially visible in developing ever more sophisticated methods of remote warfare. He declared that it was "not permissible" to entrust irreversible, lethal decisions to AI systems. At the Vatican presentation, he said "Artificial Intelligence now demands to be disarmed, freed from logics that turn it into an instrument of domination, exclusion and death."
Leo said AI had helped accelerate the "normalization of war" by desensitizing people to its cost. While not naming specific conflicts, he cited "opposing imperialisms, between powers that wish to preserve their supremacy, and those that aspire to seize that supremacy." He demanded transparency and accountability by AI developers so that the chain of decision-making command in ordering strikes with AI weaponry is always known. He declared that the Catholic Church's "just war" theory, which provides specific criteria for when force can be justified, was now "outdated" given the technological advances of warfare. He also called for a shared international framework "to curb the technological arms race and ensure robust protection for civilians."
Child Safety and Criminal Activity
The encyclical highlighted how AI amplifies the danger of predation on young people and warned against having personal mobile devices at too young an age. Leo wrote that "online phenomena such as grooming, blackmail and the sexual exploitation of minors are not uncommon, and are made more insidious by the use of fake profiles, algorithms that facilitate dangerous contact, and AI tools capable of manipulating images and videos." He called for an alliance among policymakers, educational institutions and families to help navigate the "culture of immediacy and hyperstimulation" created by digital media.
Leo also underlined the role of digital networks — including online platforms, messaging systems and anonymous payment methods — in human trafficking, which he said "must be recognized as a contemporary form of slavery." He warned that failing to respond to or tolerating these practices risks complicity in "today's sins, which are akin to those of the past when slavery was being concealed and justified."
Environmental and Infrastructure Costs
The pope addressed the environmental costs of the data centers that are generating AI models, saying they consume "enormous amounts of energy and water, significantly influencing carbon dioxide emissions." As demands increase, especially for large language models, he called for the development of more sustainable technological solutions.
Academic and Industry Response
Experts in the tech industry, academia and Catholic morality said the document will likely become a benchmark in the debate over AI. Taylor Black, a Microsoft AI executive and director of Catholic University of America's AI institute, said the document would prompt people "at the forefront of these tools" to ask questions such as "What does it mean to be human?" Paolo Carozza, law professor at Notre Dame Law School and chair of the Meta Oversight Board, said he is "convinced that this will prove to be a defining document for our era, a profound and prophetic document." He added that "Pope Leo is offering a clear, comprehensive, and coherent voice urging us to take responsibility for constructing a world in which technology will serve humans rather than degrade them."
Brian Boyd, U.S. faith liaison for the nonprofit Future of Life Institute, said Anthropic's inclusion was recognition of its prominence in the field and similar to a papal audience with a head of state, not an endorsement. He said Anthropic is an "enormous corporation that is taking onto itself an enormous risk and responsibility," and added that the company has "demonstrated genuine goodwill and integrity and interest in dialogue."
Why This Matters:
The encyclical enters the AI policy debate at a critical juncture when governments worldwide are grappling with how to balance innovation with accountability. The pope's call for "robust legal frameworks, independent oversight" and his warning that "a political system that does not abdicate its responsibility" is required represents a direct challenge to industry arguments for minimal regulation. His emphasis on the concentration of power in few private hands raises fundamental questions about market structure and competition policy in the technology sector. The acknowledgment by Anthropic's co-founder of the "real possibility that AI will displace human labor at a very large scale" underscores the economic disruption facing workers and communities. The document's focus on national security implications, particularly the use of AI in warfare and the need for transparency in command chains, speaks to sovereignty and defense concerns. For policymakers weighing regulatory approaches, the encyclical provides a framework that prioritizes individual dignity, institutional accountability, and the limits of both market mechanisms and technological determinism in shaping society's future.