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It has been revealed that Pope Leo XIV will address the rapid rise in AI as part of a major papacy with the co-founder of Anthropic.
This comes after the Vatican confirmed that the pope’s first major written teaching will focus on the impact AI is having on humanity, workers and modern society.
The document, which is known as an encyclical, is set to be unveiled at the Vatican next Monday (May 25) and will reportedly center on ‘the protection of the human person in the age of artificial intelligence’.
Pope Leo will be attending the public presentation alongside Christopher Olah, who is one of the co-founders of the AI firm Anthropic.
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Encyclicals are official, circular letters written by the pope to bishops and followers.
This is mainly used by the Roman Catholic Church as a way to offer guidance and clarify the official church teachings regarding doctrine, morals, or social issues.
The decision made by Pope Leo to discuss AI signals just how seriously the Vatican is taking the rapid advancement of the technology.
According to Vatican officials, the new text is titled Magnifica Humanitas, which is translated as Magnificent Humanity - and was signed by Pope Leo on Friday (May 15).
This date is being viewed as highly symbolic, marking exactly 135 years since Pope Leo XIII signed his landmark 1891 encyclical on workers’ rights and capitalism during the Industrial Revolution.
Andrea Vreede, a Vatican correspondent for the Dutch public radio and TV network NOS, explained: “His encyclical is going to be a response to the dazzlingly rapid technological revolution that is happening right now, so he will say things like AI shouldn’t be used in warfare, that is obvious. But he will also try to be positive and offer workable answers to modern challenges.”
Vreede added: “The fact that Leo signed the document on the same date as Leo XIII signed his encyclical is significant. The 1891 document was a response to the Industrial Revolution, when there were immediate and practical consequences to society, and this one addresses the technological revolution.”
The Vatican presentation itself is also being viewed as a strategic shift in communication.
While traditionally, papal encyclicals are introduced by senior cardinals, this event will feature theologians Anna Rowlands and Léocadie Lushombo alongside Olah.
Senior Vatican figures including Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández and Cardinal Michael Czerny are also expected to take part.
If anything, it shows that the rise of AI is something not to be ignored as it is set to have a major impact globally.
