Pope Leo warns of the risks of AI in major papal document | The VergeSkip to main contentThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.The VergeThe Verge logo.TechReviewsScienceEntertainmentAIPolicyNotificationsNotificationsHamburger Navigation ButtonThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.NotificationsNotificationsHamburger Navigation ButtonNavigation DrawerThe VergeThe Verge logo.Login / Sign UpcloseCloseSearchTechExpandAmazonAppleFacebookGoogleMicrosoftSamsungBusinessSee all techReviewsExpandSmart Home ReviewsPhone ReviewsTablet ReviewsHeadphone ReviewsSee all reviewsScienceExpandSpaceEnergyEnvironmentHealthSee all scienceEntertainmentExpandTV ShowsMoviesAudioSee all entertainmentAIExpandOpenAIAnthropicSee all AIPolicyExpandAntitrustPoliticsLawSecuritySee all policyGadgetsExpandLaptopsPhonesTVsHeadphonesSpeakersWearablesSee all gadgetsVerge ShoppingExpandBuying GuidesDealsGift GuidesSee all shoppingGamingExpandXboxPlayStationNintendoSee all gamingStreamingExpandDisneyHBONetflixYouTubeCreatorsSee all streamingTransportationExpandElectric CarsAutonomous CarsRide-sharingScootersSee all transportationFeaturesVerge VideoExpandTikTokYouTubeInstagramPodcastsExpandDecoderThe VergecastVersion HistoryNewslettersArchivesStoreVerge Product UpdatesSubscribeFacebookThreadsInstagramYoutubeRSSThe VergeThe Verge logo.Pope Leo calls for being ‘profoundly human’ in the age of AINotificationsNotificationsComments DrawerNotificationsCommentsLoading commentsGetting the conversation ready...NewsCloseNewsPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All NewsAICloseAIPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All AIPolicyClosePolicyPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All PolicyPope Leo calls for being ‘profoundly human’ in the age of AIThe pope’s first major manifesto, published Monday, calls for a new legal and ethical framework to govern AI.The pope’s first major manifesto, published Monday, calls for a new legal and ethical framework to govern AI.by Mia SatoCloseMia SatoFeatures Writer, The VergePosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Mia SatoMay 25, 2026, 3:05 PM UTCLinkShareGiftPope Leo XIV attends the presentation of his first Encyclical Letter “Magnifica humanitas” on May 25, 2026 in Vatican City, Vatican. Getty ImagesMia SatoCloseMia SatoPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Mia Sato is features writer with five years of experience covering the companies that shape technology and the people who use their tools.Pope Leo XIV warned of the risks of AI and unconstrained technological power in his first major papal document released on Monday. Magnifica Humanitas is the pope’s manifesto on “safeguarding the human person in the time of artificial intelligence,” in which he discusses the dangers of AI-powered warfare, the effects of AI on labor, and the need for new legal and ethical frameworks to govern technology.In his papal encyclical — a kind of open letter from the Catholic Church — Pope Leo stressed the economic and social upheaval that rapid AI adoption is creating, with inadequate protections for individuals that threaten human dignity. He compared the current era of AI to the Tower of Babel, saying society must “avoid the ‘Babel syndrome,’” which he defines as “the idolatry of profit that sacrifices the weak, a uniformity that neutralizes differences, and the pretense that a single language — even a digital one — can translate everything, including the mystery of the person, into data and performance.”Pope Leo’s letter touches on major areas of modern life that AI has become deeply embedded in: job loss and labor generally, AI-powered warfare, and children being exposed to AI tools and content, among other topics. Above all, the encyclical calls for the dignity of humans to be a central part of decision-making and governance. The letter is an appeal for “moral and social discernment that safeguards the primacy of the human person, in order to ensure that it will always be human intelligence, with its conscience and freedom, that guides technical innovations and responsibly determines their use and limits,” Leo writes.RelatedPope Leo XIV names AI one of the reasons for his papal nameThe literary world isn’t prepared for AIMusk v. Altman proved that AI is led by the wrong peopleThe letter, which runs more than 42,000 words, frames the call for “prudence, rigorous evaluation and even, at times, a slower pace in adopting AI” as “an exercise of responsible care for the human family.” Among some of the proposals:A social criteria for introducing automation and AI, along with protections and retraining programs for workersHumans, not opaque technological systems, should make decisions about when to use lethal forceHelp for teachers and students to engage with new technology in responsible, critical, and creative waysTransparency and accountability when algorithms are used to make decisions around hiring or access to services and opportunitiesDevelop more environmentally sustainable AI technology The effects of AI on humanity have been a defining issue for Pope Leo: He chose his papal name in reference to the industrial revolution, during which his predecessor, Pope Leo XIII, issued his own encyclical on protecting workers amid technological advancements. Pope Leo has also been engaging with the AI industry — Anthropic co-founder Christopher Olah was present when the pope presented his encyclical on Monday. Politico reported that representatives from Amazon, Meta, and Google have met with Vatican officials ahead of the publication of Monday’s encyclical as the tech industry tries to influence the church’s positions. (There’s also a subset trying to “AGI-pill” the pope; Magnifica Humanitas doesn’t explicitly mention artificial general intelligence.)The encyclical isn’t a blanket objection to AI. Rather, Pope Leo calls for the “disarming” of the technology — both in a military sense and also economic and societal sense. AI shouldn’t be used for a race to amass power or monopolize society, he says.“To disarm means discrediting the assumption that technical power automatically confers the right to govern. 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Pope Leo XIV issued his first major manifesto, called Magnifica Humanitas, which serves as a call for establishing a new legal and ethical framework to govern artificial intelligence. This document emphasizes the profound economic and social upheaval caused by the rapid adoption of AI, stressing that current protections are insufficient to safeguard human dignity. Pope Leo addresses the dangers posed by AI-powered warfare, the effects of AI on labor, and the necessity of establishing new rules to manage technology responsibly.

The encyclical critiques the current era of AI adoption by comparing it to the Tower of Babel, warning against the "Babel syndrome," which he defines as the idolatry of profit that subordinates the vulnerable, the neutralization of differences through uniformity, and the false assumption that a single digital language can fully encapsulate the mystery of the human person into mere data and performance. Consequently, the core appeal of the document is for human intelligence, with its inherent conscience and freedom, to remain the guiding principle for all technical innovation, ensuring that human intelligence responsibly determines the use and limits of technology.

The letter advocates for moral and social discernment to preserve the primacy of the human person in the context of technological change. This guidance involves several concrete proposals aimed at responsible AI development. These include establishing social criteria for introducing automation and AI, alongside mechanisms for protecting workers through retraining programs. Furthermore, the document suggests that human beings, rather than opaque technological systems, should be the entities making decisions regarding the use of lethal force. Other critical areas addressed involve ensuring transparency and accountability when algorithms dictate decisions concerning hiring or access to opportunities, and the necessity of developing AI technology that is environmentally sustainable.

Pope Leo calls for a fundamental shift in perspective, urging a slower pace in adopting AI as an exercise of responsible care for the human family. The text calls for a disarming of technology in both military and societal contexts, meaning discrediting the notion that technical power automatically grants the right to govern. This disarming does not equate to rejecting technology itself, but rather preventing AI from dominating humanity. The overarching theme is that the advancements in AI must be tempered by the recognition of human worth, ensuring that technology serves human values rather than superseding them.