Pope Leo XIV Calls for AI Disarmament, Cites Slavery and Lethal Risks

The Vatican unveiled its first encyclical, *Magnifica Humanitas*, on May 15, marking the 135th anniversary of a historic social‑doctrine document. In a speech attended by AI researcher Christopher Olah, the pope framed AI as a moral crossroads rather than a purely technical challenge.

Leo XIV described a “race for ever more powerful algorithms and larger datasets” driven by geopolitical and commercial ambitions. He linked this competition to hidden exploitation: content moderators forced to view graphic material, children mining rare‑earth minerals, and other labor hidden behind seamless AI responses. The pope called these conditions “new forms of slavery” and urged the Church and global community to expose and end the chain of exploitation.

He made two concrete ethical demands. First, AI must be “human‑friendly,” open, and accessible, not a tool that dominates humanity. Second, it is “not permissible to entrust lethal decisions to tech,” effectively banning autonomous weapons that act without human oversight. The statement echoes ongoing legal battles, such as Anthropic’s dispute with the U.S. military over lethal autonomous warfare.

The United Nations projects AI’s market value could reach $4.8 trillion by 2033, a 25‑fold increase from a decade ago, with profits concentrated among a small elite. Leo’s call to “disarm” AI seeks to curb that concentration by removing the incentive to weaponize the technology for profit or power.

Experts compare the potential impact of *Magnifica Humanitas* to Pope Francis’s 2015 climate encyclical, which sparked worldwide policy debates. By invoking philosophers from Plato to Tolkien, Leo positions AI ethics within a broader cultural narrative, urging policymakers, corporations, and civil society to shape a regulatory framework that protects human dignity.

What to watch next: Nations’ responses at upcoming UN AI forums and any legislative moves to restrict autonomous weapons will test the Vatican’s moral appeal against entrenched industry interests.