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Pope Leo XIV has made history by unveiling his AI ethics manifesto that has the potential to alter the future of emerging digital technologies in the Roman Catholic Church.
The Vatican confirmed that the pope’s first major written teaching, known as an encyclical, has been officially unveiled today (May 25).
It reportedly focuses on the impact AI is having on humanity, workers and modern society as well as ‘the protection of the human person in the age of artificial intelligence’.
If you’re unfamiliar with encyclicals, they are official, circular letters written by the pope to bishops and followers.
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The pope himself was in attendance today for the public presentation alongside Christopher Olah, who is one of the co-founders of the AI firm Anthropic.
The new text is titled Magnifica Humanitas, which is translated as Magnificent Humanity, and was signed by Pope Leo earlier this month.
This is a significant moment for the Church as it will establish its own moral framework for emerging digital technology.
This also marks the first time in history that the Vatican has actively provided religious guidance on AI.
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.”
Pope Leo has previously spoken out against the militarization of AI, stating that ‘delegating decisions concerning the life and death of human beings to machines’ could result in a ‘destructive spiral’.
The official text of Pope Leo’s Magnifica Humanitas can be viewed in full on the Vatican website.
The opening line reads: “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.”
The pope went on to write: “For this reason, the development and use of AI in warfare must be subject to the most rigorous ethical constraints, to guarantee respect for human dignity and the sanctity of life and to avoid a race to develop such arms.”
Pope Leo also warned that AI could be responsible for facilitating the ‘normalization of war’.
