Pope Leo XIV to Launch First AI Encyclical as Global AI Market Nears $4.8 Trillion

Pope Leo XIV, the first American pontiff, has made artificial intelligence a defining theme of his papacy since his election a year ago. He has repeatedly warned that letting machines decide matters of life and death leads to a destructive spiral. The encyclical builds on the Vatican’s 2020 "Rome Appeal for an AI Ethic," which urged new technologies to uphold human dignity. Pope Francis had previously called for AI regulation and warned that unchecked advances could deepen social inequalities. Observers note that the timing coincides with rising public concern over AI‑generated misinformation.

- Pope Leo XIV will personally present "Magnifica Humanitas" at the Vatican on Monday. - The United Nations projects the AI industry could reach $4.8 trillion by 2033, a 25‑fold increase over the past decade. - In his remarks, the pope described reliance on machines for life‑and‑death decisions as a destructive spiral. - The launch will include Vatican officials and prominent tech figures, notably the co‑founder of Anthropic, whose Claude model is currently barred from military surveillance use.

The document is poised to become a reference point for moral guidance on AI, much like Pope Francis’s 2015 climate encyclical "Laudato Si" sparked worldwide debate and policy shifts. By framing AI as a social teaching, the Vatican aims to influence legislators, corporations, and citizens to adopt safeguards that prioritize human welfare. Given the projected $4.8 trillion market, the encyclical’s timing suggests the Church seeks to shape governance before economic power becomes further concentrated in a few hands. Its emphasis on digital literacy and algorithmic transparency could inform upcoming regulatory discussions in the United States and elsewhere.