- Pope Leo warned AI could create “new forms of dehumanization”
- The Vatican says “opaque algorithms” threaten humanity and social justice
- The Pope called for global ethical standards around artificial intelligence
The Catholic Church has entered the AI debate in dramatic fashion. In one of the strongest warnings about artificial intelligence yet from a global religious leader, Pope Leo cautioned that AI and “opaque algorithms” risk creating “new forms of dehumanization” if humanity loses control of the technology shaping modern life.
The remarks by Pope Leo XIV form part of his new encyclical called Magnifica Humanitas. An encyclical is a formal document issued by the Vatican and traditionally used to address major moral or social issues. This latest document is focused entirely on AI, ethics, and the growing power of tech companies.
While Silicon Valley continues racing to build increasingly powerful AI systems, the Pope’s intervention suggests the battle over artificial intelligence is no longer just about innovation or productivity — it is becoming a moral and philosophical fight over what it means to remain human.
The new Tower of Babel
Pope Leo’s Magnifica Humanitas: On Safeguarding the Human Person in the Time of Artificial Intelligence opens with a striking warning:
“Humanity, created by God in all its grandeur, is today facing a pivotal choice: either to construct a new Tower of Babel or to build the city in which God and humanity dwell together.”
In the biblical story of the Tower of Babel, humans attempt to build a structure tall enough to reach the heavens, an act of pride that ultimately leads to division and confusion.
Pope Leo XIV argues that modern AI development risks repeating that mistake if power and knowledge become concentrated in the hands of only a few companies and nations, widening the divide between those included in the digital revolution and those left behind.
Above all, the Pope calls for shared ethical standards rooted in social justice, warning that “a more moral AI is not enough if that morality is determined by a few”. He also stresses that the environmental impact of AI cannot be ignored, pointing to the enormous amounts of energy and water required to power modern AI systems.
A growing global AI backlash
This latest intervention represents the Vatican’s clearest and most direct challenge yet to the companies driving the AI boom.
The Pope also took the unusual step of personally presenting the document during an event at the Vatican attended by politicians, academics and technology leaders. Among those present was Christopher Olah, co-founder of Anthropic, the AI company behind Claude. The US-based AI firm that famously pulled out of a deal with the Pentagon and is now embroiled in a lawsuit with Donald Trump’s administration over being branded a “supply chain risk”.
The timing is significant. Governments around the world are scrambling to regulate artificial intelligence while companies such as OpenAI, Google, and Meta continue pushing toward increasingly powerful AI systems. There is also a growing backlash against AI from the younger generation, especially when AI is mentioned in graduation speeches, fueled by AI’s impact on their employment prospects.
For years, most conversations about AI have focused on what the technology can do. Pope Leo’s message arrives at a moment when the debate is increasingly centered on who gets to control it, the risks of that control remaining in the hands of a few tech companies, and what happens if humanity gives away too much of itself in the process.
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