Pope Leo XIV published his landmark encyclical on artificial intelligence “Magnifica Humanitas” May 25, comparing the attempt to build an AI future that excludes God to the “Tower of Babel” and underlining the need to safeguard human dignity as it is “threatened by new forms of dehumanization.”
Artificial Intelligence
Pope Leo XIV’s first encyclical, “Magnifica Humanitas,” will be published May 25, addressing artificial intelligence and the protection of human dignity, the Vatican has announced.
Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical on artificial intelligence is coming: Here’s what he has said on AI so far
As the world awaits Pope Leo XIV’s first encyclical on artificial intelligence, expected to be signed May 15 and released by the Vatican by the end of the month, here is a look at what the pope has said on AI since his election a year ago.
Pope Leo XIV has urged the media to show the human face of suffering amid war and to verify news so as not to recirculate “propaganda” or become a “mouthpiece for those in power.”
The Vatican’s International Theological Commission has warned that if humanity places total trust in technology in a “world ruled by machines,” it risks replacing the “living God” with a counterfeit “virtual God.”
Humanity must not allow technology, especially AI, to obscure, exploit, or suppress human voices, needs, knowledge, talents, creativity, and critical thinking abilities, Pope Leo XIV said.
Human beings are meant to be actively involved in the world of creation, not just passive consumers of content generated by technology, Pope Leo XIV said.
With human trafficking on the rise globally, the Vatican’s diplomatic mission to the United Nations is highlighting concerns for child victims and refugees — while warning of technological tools used by traffickers to expand their criminal activities.
The rapid expansion of artificial intelligence online and in schools demands stronger government-enforced safeguards, education in the critical use of media, and more consistent monitoring by parents and teachers, Pope Leo XIV said.
Colleges stand on the front lines of the artificial intelligence debate, balancing how to address students that rely on chatbots to write papers and weighing how to best prepare students to enter a new workforce supported by AI.