Pope Leo XIV Calls for the ‘Disarmament’ of AI in Landmark Encyclical
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A New Moral Framework for the Algorithmic Age
In a high-profile appearance in Rome, Pope Leo XIV released his first major encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas (“Magnificent Humanity”), delivering a searing critique of the current trajectory of artificial intelligence. Accompanied by the co-founder of AI safety lab Anthropic, the Pope argued that the global community must move beyond mere regulation and instead pursue the “disarmament” of AI.
The term “disarmament” is a deliberate choice by Leo, intended to signal the urgency of the moment. In the 40,000-word document, he warns that AI is currently being steered by logics of domination, exclusion, and death. By framing the issue as a matter of disarmament, the Vatican is positioning AI not just as a tool with potential bugs or biases, but as a structural power that requires a fundamental shift in ownership and purpose to serve the common good.
The Rise of Digital Colonialism
One of the most pointed sections of the encyclical addresses the extractive nature of modern data collection. Leo draws a direct line between historical colonial conquest and the modern harvesting of health data, genetic maps, and demographic profiles from structurally fragile regions of the world.
The Pope describes this process as a new form of extraction, where data has become the “rare earths” of power. He argues that when this information is aggregated by a few powerful entities to train predictive models and guide investment strategies, it creates a structural leverage that allows a small elite to determine who matters and who is discarded.
“If we don’t figure this out,” Leo warns, “the digital age will not be post-colonial, but colonial in another form.” This critique extends to the hoarding of intellectual property, specifically patents, algorithms, and technological infrastructure, which he suggests have become new, exclusionary forms of property.
Intelligence vs. Humanity
Despite the stern warnings, the Vatican is not advocating for a Luddite rejection of technology. The church has already integrated AI into its own operations, recently launching an AI-powered system to translate services at St. Peter’s into 60 different languages via smartphones.
However, Leo insists on a sharp distinction between computational intelligence and human existence. He argues that AI merely imitates human functions; it does not possess a body, does not experience joy or pain, and lacks a moral conscience. The encyclical cautions against the tendency to elevate “intelligence” as the primary virtue of a human being, suggesting that such a focus overshadows essential dimensions of life like affection, will, and relationship.
The Pope suggests that granting humans technical power without accompanying wisdom or emotional maturity does not empower the species, but rather makes individuals more isolated and vulnerable to domination.
Building a ‘Civilization of Love’
The document intentionally echoes Rerum Novarum, the 1891 encyclical that addressed the upheavals of the Industrial Revolution and the rights of workers. Leo views AI as the res novae (new things) of the current era, requiring a similar update to Catholic social teaching.
To counter the dehumanizing effects of AI, Leo proposes five pathways: the disarmament of words, the pursuit of peace through justice, adopting the perspective of the marginalized, cultivating a healthy realism, and reviving multilateral dialogue.
In a surprising nod to modern storytelling, the Pope closes his call to action by quoting J.R.R. Tolkien. While the text refers only to a “protagonist in one of [Tolkien’s] novels,” the phrasing is a clear reference to Gandalf, marking one of the first times a work of Tolkien’s fiction has been utilized in official high-level church doctrine to inspire a vision of human flourishing against the backdrop of overwhelming power.
