Pope Leo XIV’s Encyclical Calls for Justice‑by‑Design in AI

Released on May 25, the encyclical is the first major teaching letter of Pope Leo XIV. It spans an introduction and five chapters, totaling 245 paragraphs. The text examines how digital technologies, especially AI, affect education, work, the economy, and peace. Vatican officials said the letter aims to provide a moral compass for societies navigating rapid technological change.

The pope states that AI’s moral impact depends on both how it is used and how it is designed. He warns that humanity is slipping into a violent culture of power amplified by the digital revolution. The encyclical’s structure—introduction plus five chapters—covers Catholic social doctrine, the technocratic paradigm, truth and democracy, and the normalization of war. Chapter three introduces the technocratic paradigm, describing how efficiency can become the ultimate measure of value and reduce persons to projects to be optimized.

By invoking principles such as dignity, solidarity, and justice, the pope offers a framework for evaluating AI systems. He suggests that without shared standards, AI may deepen existing inequalities and enable new forms of exclusion. The document does not prescribe specific technical rules but calls for ongoing dialogue among ethicists, engineers, and policymakers. The encyclical also cites St. Augustine’s *City of God* to illustrate the contest between self‑love and love of God as a metaphor for competing visions of technology.

Observers will monitor how technology firms respond to the call for justice‑by‑design and whether any national AI policies reference the encyclical’s moral guidelines. Upcoming discussions at the United Nations AI Advisory Body and the European Union’s AI Act review may test how religious ethical frameworks influence regulatory debates.