Pope Leo XIV’s AI manifesto calls for ethical restraints and warns of new forms of slavery
Consensus Summary
Pope Leo XIV released his first encyclical, *Magnifica Humanitas*, on May 15, 2026, urging ethical restraints on artificial intelligence, particularly in warfare, and warning of new forms of digital slavery. The document calls for ‘disarming’ AI by preventing its domination over humanity, emphasizing that algorithms cannot justify war and that AI development must be democratized and scrutinized. Pope Leo also apologized for the Catholic Church’s historical role in slavery, including papal authorization of enslavement, marking a first for a pope. The encyclical was presented at the Vatican alongside AI experts, including Anthropic co-founder Christopher Olah, who echoed calls for broader oversight of AI. Both sources highlight the pope’s collaboration with tech firms like Microsoft and Google, framing the Church’s engagement as a dialogue rather than dictation of policy. The text draws parallels to past papal social doctrine, such as Leo XIII’s 1891 encyclical, and is expected to influence global debates on AI ethics, akin to Pope Francis’s 2015 climate manifesto.
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Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Pope Leo XIV released his first encyclical titled *Magnifica Humanitas* (Magnificent Humanity) on May 15, 2026, addressing AI ethics and societal impacts.
- The encyclical calls for the ‘disarming’ of AI, meaning ‘freeing it from the mentality of armed competition’ and preventing it from dominating humanity.
- Pope Leo XIV warned that AI-directed weaponry is ‘not permissible’ and that ‘no algorithm can make war morally acceptable,’ urging rigorous ethical constraints on AI in warfare.
- The pope cited the UN’s estimate that AI could be worth up to $4.8 trillion by 2033, a 25-fold increase in a decade, while concentrating profits in the hands of a few.
- Pope Leo XIV apologized for the Catholic Church’s role in slavery, including popes’ past authorization of enslavement, calling it ‘a wound in Christian memory.’
- The encyclical references the 1891 encyclical by Leo XIII, marking a 135-year tradition of Church social doctrine.
- Anthropic co-founder Christopher Olah attended the Vatican presentation and stated that AI development requires oversight from religious leaders, governments, and civil society.
- The Vatican has engaged in dialogues with major tech firms like Microsoft and Google on AI ethics for several years.
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Pope Leo XIV explicitly criticized the Trump administration’s ‘just war’ theory as ‘outdated’ in the encyclical, without naming Trump.
- The pope warned of ‘new forms of slavery’ behind AI, highlighting exploitation of content moderators and child labor in rare earth mining.
- The encyclical cites cultural references including Plato, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, and a character from *The Lord of the Rings*.
- The UN’s $4.8 trillion AI market projection by 2033 is attributed to the pope’s text, emphasizing profit concentration.
- The pope’s first encyclical is compared to Pope Francis’s 2015 *Laudato Si’* climate manifesto in potential influence.
- Pope Leo XIV described AI’s role in facilitating the ‘normalisation of war’ and warned that some autonomous weapons systems are ‘practically beyond any human reach’ to control.
- The pope’s family history includes both enslaved people and enslavers, adding personal weight to his apology for slavery.
- Theologians Anna Rowlands and Léocadie Lushombo attended the presentation alongside the pope and two cardinals.
- Christopher Olah warned of AI displacing human labor ‘at very large scale,’ calling it a ‘moral imperative’ to support the displaced.
- The pope’s approach to AI regulation is framed as ‘clear-eyed’ but humble, acknowledging the Church lacks all policy answers.
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- Newscomau states the Trump administration ‘espoused’ the ‘just war’ theory recently, while the Guardian does not mention this specific claim.
- Newscomau attributes the $4.8 trillion AI market projection to the UN within the pope’s text, but the Guardian does not reference this figure.
- Newscomau emphasizes the pope’s clash with the White House over the Iran war, while the Guardian does not mention this specific geopolitical conflict.
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