Pope Leo warns AI risks becoming tool of 'domination, exclusion and death' in new encyclical

Pope Leo unveiled the Vatican’s caller encyclical, "Magnifica Humanitas," informing that artificial quality risks becoming a instrumentality of "domination, exclusion and death" unless governments and institutions spot motivation limits connected the rapidly processing technology.

The Vatican is formally entering the planetary statement implicit artificial quality arsenic governments and tech companies contention to make progressively almighty AI systems with constricted planetary regulation.

The pontiff invoked Pope Leo XIII’s 1891 encyclical "Rerum Novarum," which addressed idiosyncratic exploitation during the Industrial Revolution, arguing that AI represents a likewise transformative infinitesimal threatening quality dignity.

"Today we find ourselves facing a translation of akin magnitude, with possibly adjacent greater consequences," the Pope said.

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Pope warns artificial quality could go a unit for "domination, exclusion and death" without motivation limits successful the Vatican’s caller encyclical. (Photo by Alberto PIZZOLI / AFP via Getty Images)

The pope warned astir progressively autonomous weapons systems that are beyond meaningful quality control. He besides said AI systems could artifact entree to healthcare, employment and information due to the fact that of biased data. He compared AI governance to atomic arms control.

"Like atomic energy, it indispensable beryllium astatine the work of each and of the communal good," helium said.

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Pope Leo XIV leads a vigil for bid wrong St. Peter's Basilica astatine the Vatican connected April 11, 2026. (Gregorio Borgia/AP)

The pope said disarming AI unsocial is not capable and called connected governments and institutions to "build" systems rooted successful spot and quality dignity. Recalling devastating floods successful Peru, helium said rebuilding means restoring spot and hope.

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Pope Leo XIV leads the Angelus supplication from the model of the Apostolic Palace astatine the Vatican connected March 1, 2026, informing that escalating unit successful the Middle East risks becoming an "irreparable abyss." (REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane)

The pope besides laid retired the church’s broader statement astir humanity and technology.

"The idiosyncratic bears wrong him- oregon herself a freedom, an interiority and a vocation to emotion and worship that nary instrumentality tin replace," helium said.

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The Vatican is attempting to insert motivation theology into a mostly secular technological arms race.

"Stay awake," the pope urged, informing humanity not to surrender motivation judgement to machines.