Pope Leo: opaque AI run by few firms risks "New Forms of Dehumanization"
Recorded: May 25, 2026, 2:59 p.m.
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Pope Leo Issues AI Encyclical Warning Against 'Opaque Algorithms' Pope Leo Issues AI Encyclical Warning Against 'Opaque Algorithms'
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Home Biz Global May 25, 2026 3:43am PT By Nick Vivarelli Plus Icon International Correspondent @NickVivarelli Latest Lebanese Comic John Achkar’s Special at L’Olympia Hall Acquired by Arabic Streamer MBC Shahid in ‘Milestone’ for Arabic Stand-Up 1 hour ago Pope Leo Issues AI Manifesto Warning That ‘Opaque Algorithms’ Controlled by a ‘Few’ Companies Can Bring ‘New Forms of Dehumanization’ 4 hours ago International Coalition for Filmmakers at Risk Calls For Release of Egyptian Filmmaker Omar Salah Marei Jailed on Charges of ‘Spreading False News’ 2 days ago See All Getty Pope Leo XIV on Monday launched an impassioned call for regulation of Artificial Intelligence, warning that “opaque algorithms,” controlled by a handful of powerful private companies, can bring “new forms of dehumanization.” In his eagerly awaited new encyclical called “Magnificent Humanity” – an encyclical is an ancient form of Vatican communication – Pope Leo also warned that it is crucial that AI must not remain in the hands “of a few,” underlining that AI technology was recently used during the U.S.-Israel War on Iran.
The pontiff also said it was crucial that the technological revolution underway must not be driven by “the idolatry of profit.” Popular on Variety While pontiffs do not usually physically attend the presentation of their encyclicals, Pope Leo – in what is considered an unusual move – presented “Magnifica Humanitas” himself at the Vatican alongside Christopher Olah, the founder of major A.I. developer Anthropic, as well as a host of Catholic prelates and theologians. Anthropic, during the past year, has held several events targeting religious communities and invited Christian leaders to its headquarters to discuss spiritual-related matters and the development of its AI systems. In February, Anthropic’s CEO, Dario Amodei clashed with U.S. President Donald Trump and the U.S. Department of Defense when he refused to comply with Pentagon demands to grant the U.S. military unrestricted use of its AI assistant, Claude. “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,” Pope Leo said, in the encyclical’s opening words. In the biblical Tower of Babel story, humans are driven by hubris to try to create a tower tall enough to touch the sky, angering God in the process.
“Magnifica humanitas,” which is divided into five chapters, “has an underlying premise: technology is not “a force antagonistic to humanity, nor is it “inherently evil,” according to the Holy See’s official news outlet, Vatican News. However, “technology is never neutral, because it takes on the characteristics of those who devise, finance, regulate, and use it,” it noted. In terms of regulation, “What is needed is a more active political involvement that is capable of slowing things down when everything is accelerating,” Leo said in the document, which some experts say is likely to become a benchmark for policymakers, and also ordinary citizens, in the ongoing debate over AI. The pope went on to call for “robust legal frameworks, independent oversight, informed users and a political system that does not abdicate its responsibility.” Read More About: artificial intelligence, Pope Leo XIV Jump to Comments
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Pope Leo XIV issued a warning concerning the development and control of artificial intelligence, emphasizing the dangers posed by opaque algorithms governed by a small number of powerful private entities. This message was articulated in his new encyclical, titled Magnificent Humanity, which served as a platform for discussing the profound implications of technological advancement. The Pope cautioned that allowing these opaque systems to be controlled by a few companies risks bringing about "new forms of dehumanization." He stressed the necessity that artificial intelligence must not remain exclusively in the hands of a select few, especially given the recent deployment of this technology during conflicts such as the U.S.-Israel War on Iran. The encyclical posits that while technology itself is neither intrinsically evil nor inherently antagonistic to humanity, it is not neutral. The text asserts that technology assumes the characteristics of those who devise, finance, regulate, and utilize it, indicating that its outcomes are deeply tied to human agency. Consequently, Pope Leo called for a fundamental shift in the approach to technological acceleration, arguing that the technological revolution must not be driven by the "idolatry of profit." In terms of necessary regulation, the Pope advocated for active political engagement to moderate the rapid pace of technological acceleration. He called for the establishment of robust legal frameworks, the implementation of independent oversight mechanisms, ensuring that users are informed, and demanding a political system that fully assumes its responsibility regarding these powerful technologies. The text suggests that this framework will serve as a benchmark for both policymakers and the general public in the ongoing debate surrounding AI. In a notable action, Pope Leo presented the encyclical himself at the Vatican alongside Christopher Olah, the founder of the AI developer Anthropic, and other Catholic prelates and theologians, underscoring the spiritual and ethical urgency of the matter. This presentation followed events where Anthropic’s CEO had engaged in conflicts with the U.S. government regarding the use of their AI assistant, Claude. The Pope framed the broader human dilemma by referencing the biblical story of the Tower of Babel, suggesting that humanity faces a choice between pursuing hubris to create structures that seek to defy natural boundaries or building a shared city of coexistence. Ultimately, the message calls for a re-centering of human responsibility and political governance over the development of artificial intelligence. |