Pope Leo XIV Issues First Papal Encyclical Calling for Robust AI Regulation

May 25, 2026

Pope Leo XIV, history's first U.S.-born pope, issued his first encyclical 'Magnifica Humanitas' on May 25, 2026, calling for robust AI regulation. Signed May 15, 2026, on the 135th anniversary of 'Rerum Novarum', the document declares it 'not permissible' to entrust irreversible, lethal decisions to AI systems. The Vatican presentation included Anthropic co-founder Christopher Olah as part of a decade-long dialogue with Silicon Valley.

Papal encyclical on AI regulation

▪"Magnifica Humanitas" applies Catholic social teaching core concepts including justice, solidarity, the dignity of work, and the universal destination of resources to the digital revolution
▪Pope Leo XIV signed "Magnifica Humanitas" on May 15, 2026, the 135th anniversary of the publication of "Rerum Novarum"
▪"Magnifica Humanitas" calls for robust regulation of artificial intelligence
▪"Magnifica Humanitas" calls for AI developers to work for the common good rather than profit
▪Pope Leo XIV denounced the "culture of power" driving the AI race in "Magnifica Humanitas"
▪Pope Leo XIV issued his first papal encyclical titled "Magnifica Humanitas" (Magnificent Humanity) on May 25, 2026

AI weapons in warfare

▪Pope Leo XIV declared in "Magnifica Humanitas" that it is "not permissible" to entrust irreversible, lethal decisions to AI systems
▪Pope Leo XIV denounced in "Magnifica Humanitas" how AI had helped accelerate the "normalization of war" by desensitizing people to its cost
▪Pope Leo XIV declared in "Magnifica Humanitas" that the Catholic Church's "just war" theory is now "outdated" given the technological advances of warfare

Tech industry power concentration

▪"Magnifica Humanitas" states that a more moral AI is not enough if that morality is determined by a few
▪Pope Leo XIV in "Magnifica Humanitas" repeatedly criticized the concentration of power and data in the hands of so few people in the private sector as a danger, especially to children and the most vulnerable
▪"Magnifica Humanitas" states that robust legal frameworks, independent oversight, informed users and a political system that does not abdicate its responsibility are required for AI regulation

Human dignity in labor

▪Pope Leo XIII published "Rerum Novarum" (Of New Things), which addressed workers' rights, the limits of capitalism, and the obligations that states and employers owed workers as the Industrial Revolution was underway
▪Pope Leo XIV issued the first-ever papal apology for the Holy See's role in legitimizing slavery by giving European sovereigns explicit authority to subjugate and enslave "infidels"
▪"Magnifica Humanitas" states that the pursuit of greater profits cannot justify choices that systematically sacrifice jobs, because the human person is an end, not a means

Vatican-Silicon Valley engagement

▪Brian Boyd is U.S. faith liaison for the nonprofit Future of Life Institute
▪Taylor Black is a Microsoft AI executive and director of Catholic University of America's AI institute
▪Paolo Carozza is a law professor at Notre Dame Law School and chair of the Meta Oversight Board
▪The Vatican launch of "Magnifica Humanitas" included remarks by Anthropic co-founder Christopher Olah
▪The Vatican decided to involve Anthropic in the "Magnifica Humanitas" launch as part of its decade-long effort to engage Silicon Valley in dialogue over the human cost of AI