Pope Leo calls for the “annihilation” of AI in a technology-focused encyclical

in Rome – Pope Leo XIV issued a major document on Monday that focused heavily on the effects of the growth of artificial intelligence for humanity, warning technology can make civilization itself “subhuman.”

Papa Leo, who has gone repeatedly conflict with the Trump administration about the Iran war and the religious justification of some US officials, also appeared to undermine the argument that the conflict was a necessary step for American security.

“Today, more than ever, without prejudice to the right to self-defense in the strictest sense, it is important to reaffirm that the doctrine of ‘just war,’ which is often used to justify any kind of war, is now outdated,” he wrote in his book Magnifica Humanitas (Magnificent Humanity), an 82-page doctrine known as an encyclical.

Francis also issued the first-ever apology for the Vatican’s role in aiding and abetting the transatlantic slave trade, calling it a “wound in the Christian memory.”

“For this, on behalf of the Church, I sincerely apologize,” he wrote.

But a large part of the encyclical was devoted to what Leo clearly saw as the widespread human acceptance of AI.

Pope Leo warns AI could make civilization “subhuman”

When the world’s first US-born pope chose his name last year, Leo deliberately asked the last pope to bear it: Pope Leo XIII, whose 1891 landmark Rerum Novarum helped guide the Catholic Church through the Industrial Revolution.

More than a century later, the Chicago native attempted a similar longing for the AI ​​Revolution.

In Magnifica Humanitas, the leader of the world’s nearly 1.4 billion Catholics warned that artificial intelligence risks making civilization “less human,” shutting down work, concentrating wealth and relegating people to systems driven by data and efficiency rather than dignity and morality.

“It’s a stressful job,” wrote Leo, “to remain deeply human.”

Leo called for the “disarmament” of AI, warning that the technology could further “a race for the most powerful algorithms and the largest datasets, driven by the desire to protect national or commercial sovereignty.”

This document marks the first major papal letter written in the era of productive artificial intelligence, and it presents current technological changes not just as an economic challenge, but as what the pope calls “anthropological” – a problem that affects the meaning and purpose of humanity.

“Please note that the document does not mention AI,” Cardinal Michael Czerny, one of the Vatican officials who helped launch the document, told CBS News. “It’s about the human condition in the age of AI.”

In the unusual direct language of a Vatican document, Leo – who has a degree in mathematics – warned of the growing power of IT companies, which could potentially compete with the government.

At the same time, the pope emphasized that technology itself is not inherently bad.

“Artificial intelligence is a great human achievement,” said Cardinal Czerny. “We have a lot to praise and a lot to be thankful for… But we cannot abdicate responsibility.”

The Vatican’s concerns extend beyond Silicon Valley. The encyclical repeats over and over the wider public concern that AI ⁠⁠can close the middle class; remove the bulk of the work; increase inequality; fuel social divisions; and normalize AI-driven combat.

“No algorithm can make war morally acceptable,” the encyclical said.

“Constraints that sometimes conflict with doing the right thing”

That warning comes as militaries around the world are rapidly integrating AI into weapons systems. CBS News recently saw US forces conduct exercises in Morocco and saw firsthand the growing use of AI-assisted targeting systems and autonomous technologies, including systems linked to Maven, the Pentagon’s AI platform.

One of the highlights of the Vatican’s release of Leo’s letter was the inclusion of Christopher Olah, founder of AI company Anthropic, who was in person with top church officials on Monday.

Olah said AI companies operate “within a set of incentives and constraints that can sometimes conflict with doing what is right,” and he welcomed ideas from outside, including the Catholic Church, “to move events to a better place.”

“The questions raised by AI are bigger than the AI ​​research community,” he said.

Leo said he accepted the invitation from Olah, “to walk together, to listen and talk and together to find a way for humanity,” and he was convinced that, “together, we can see the great questions of our time, and therefore, the future of humanity.”

Although Anthropic often presents itself as a security-conscious, “human-first” AI company, the Trump administration recently listed it as a procurement risk because of its refusal to allow the Pentagon to use its technology in automated killing systems or mass surveillance at home.

Its models remain integrated into military and intelligence programs, however, as CBS News observed.

When asked if Anthropic’s reputation as a human-centric AI company influenced the Vatican’s decision to work with it, Czerny replied: “I’m sure it did.”

He stressed, however, that dialogue with AI companies should not be taken as an endorsement by the Vatican.

“We negotiate with anyone,” Czerny said. “We don’t encourage it.”

The encyclical returns repeatedly to the idea that the dangers posed by AI are not only technological, but spiritual and existential disabilities.

“We are devastated,” the cardinal told CBS News. “We feel like we have nothing to say … and this is paralyzing us.”

Asked if the pope was worried that people are starting to treat AI as a substitute for God, Czerny replied: “Yes … many things are replacing God and we call them idols.”

Just as the Industrial Revolution transformed labor and capital, the AI ​​revolution is transforming humanity itself, the pope warned in his remarks.