Artificial intelligence has become one of the most influential technological phenomena in recent history. In just a few years, tools capable of generating text, images, videos, music, computer programming, and complex analyses have moved from experimental projects to part of the daily lives of millions of people. Technology companies, governments, universities, and research centers are investing ever-increasing amounts of resources to develop more powerful systems, with the expectation that they will profoundly transform the economy, education, medicine, science, and virtually all areas of human activity.
This accelerated growth has generated an unprecedented climate of enthusiasm. For many specialists, artificial intelligence represents a historic opportunity comparable to the Industrial Revolution, electrification, or the arrival of the internet. Its supporters argue that it will make it possible to solve problems that for decades seemed impossible, from the discovery of new medicines to the optimization of energy systems and the improvement of global productivity.
However, alongside these expectations, increasingly visible concerns have also emerged. The automation of employment, the concentration of technological power, the manipulation of information, risks to privacy, and the military use of autonomous systems are issues that have begun to worry not only technology experts, but also political leaders, international organizations, and social leaders.
In this context, Pope Leo XIV decided to place artificial intelligence at the center of his first major encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas (“Magnificent Humanity”), published in May 2026. The document constitutes a broad reflection on the impact of the digital revolution and raises the need to establish clear ethical limits to ensure that technological development remains at the service of people and does not end up subordinating humanity to its own creations.
An encyclical for a technological era
Encyclicals are documents of great importance within the Catholic tradition. Throughout history, some of these texts have transcended the strictly religious sphere to become fundamental references in economic, social, and political debates. Pope Leo XIV appears to have sought to continue that tradition by dedicating his first major encyclical to an issue that affects all humanity, regardless of the religious beliefs of each individual. With this initiative, Pope Leo XIV places artificial intelligence at the center of a reflection that goes beyond the boundaries of the Church and reaches global society.
The text is not intended solely for Catholic faithful. From its very first pages, Pope Leo XIV addresses his reflections to scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs, government leaders, educators, and citizens in general. For Pope Leo XIV, artificial intelligence is a global phenomenon whose effects reach all countries and all generations, meaning its regulation cannot depend exclusively on national or corporate interests. In this way, Pope Leo XIV opens a debate that involves the entire international community.
The choice of topic is especially significant because it reflects a shift in focus compared to many traditional debates. Rather than concentrating solely on doctrinal or spiritual questions, the encyclical of Pope Leo XIV addresses one of the most complex challenges of the 21st century. In doing so, Pope Leo XIV seeks to actively participate in an international conversation that until now had been mainly dominated by technological, economic, and political actors. The intervention of Pope Leo XIV gains particular relevance due to the growing impact of artificial intelligence in everyday life.
The publication of the document also demonstrates that the Church considers artificial intelligence to be more than just a technical tool. Pope Leo XIV argues that it is a transformation capable of profoundly modifying human relationships, labor structures, the circulation of information, and the way people understand their place in the world. Through this encyclical, Pope Leo XIV aims to promote an ethical reflection on the future of technology and on the need for technological progress to always keep the human person at the center of its priorities.
The legacy of Rerum Novarum and the new industrial revolution
One of the most interesting elements of Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical is the parallel it draws with Rerum Novarum, published by Pope Leo XIII in 1891. That work emerged in the midst of the Industrial Revolution, when factories, mechanization, and urbanization were radically transforming society. By revisiting this historical reference, Pope Leo XIV seeks to build a bridge between the challenges of the past and the technological challenges of the present.
At that time, millions of workers faced extremely harsh working conditions. Working hours were long, wages were insufficient, and social protections were virtually nonexistent. In response to that reality, Rerum Novarum defended the dignity of human labor and promoted the need to balance economic development with social justice. Pope Leo XIV considers that the teachings of that document remain relevant for understanding the effects of current technological transformations.
Pope Leo XIV argues that humanity is currently undergoing a comparable situation. If the Industrial Revolution transformed physical labor through machines, the digital revolution is beginning to transform intellectual capabilities through increasingly sophisticated algorithms. For Pope Leo XIV, this difference makes the current challenge particularly complex, since it affects not only manual tasks, but also activities related to knowledge, creativity, and decision-making.
By establishing this historical link, Pope Leo XIV suggests that every major technological leap requires an equivalent ethical reflection. According to Pope Leo XIV, innovations can generate enormous benefits for humanity, but they can also produce inequality, exclusion, or new forms of dependence if adequate mechanisms are not in place to protect the most vulnerable people. The comparison made by Pope Leo XIV seeks to remind us that technological progress must always be accompanied by social responsibility.
The need to slow down technological enthusiasm
One of the most forceful messages in Pope Leo XIV’s document is the call to reduce the speed at which certain artificial intelligence applications are being developed. This position by Pope Leo XIV does not imply opposition to innovation, but rather a warning about the risks of advancing without a sufficient understanding of the consequences.
In recent years, competition between technology companies and economic powers has driven a constant race to create ever more advanced systems. Each new model seeks to outperform the previous one in reasoning ability, content generation, and task automation. This dynamic has fostered a culture in which speed is often considered a strategic advantage. However, Pope Leo XIV believes that speed cannot become the only criterion for evaluating technological progress.
According to Pope Leo XIV, the problem arises when the speed of technological development exceeds the ability of institutions to assess its effects. Pope Leo XIV warns that laws, educational systems, and regulatory frameworks evolve much more slowly than digital innovation. As a result, technologies with enormous potential impact can spread widely before adequate mechanisms exist to supervise them and ensure responsible use.
The encyclical of Pope Leo XIV proposes replacing the logic of constant acceleration with a logic of responsibility. Before deploying tools capable of influencing millions of people, Pope Leo XIV argues that it is necessary to carefully analyze their social, cultural, and ethical implications. Otherwise, Pope Leo XIV warns, humanity risks discovering too late problems that could have been prevented through proper regulation and more rigorous evaluation.
The challenge of misinformation in the AI era
The automated production of content is one of the central concerns raised by Pope Leo XIV. Recent advances have shown that artificial intelligence can generate text, images, audio, and video with an extraordinary level of realism. Although these capabilities offer valuable opportunities for creativity and communication, Pope Leo XIV warns that they also facilitate the spread of misleading information and manipulated content.
The creation of false content no longer requires large resources or specialized technical knowledge. A single person can produce materials capable of appearing authentic and distribute them instantly through digital platforms. For Pope Leo XIV, this situation raises unprecedented challenges for journalists, educators, electoral authorities, and citizens, who must operate in an increasingly complex information environment.
The phenomenon of so-called deepfakes clearly illustrates this issue highlighted by Pope Leo XIV. Through artificial intelligence, it is possible to fabricate false statements from political leaders, celebrities, or public figures with a level of realism that makes it difficult to distinguish between what is authentic and what is manipulated. Pope Leo XIV considers that, in contexts of crisis, international conflicts, or electoral campaigns, these tools can be used to significantly influence public opinion and generate serious social consequences.
The concern of Pope Leo XIV goes beyond individual cases of deception. What truly worries Pope Leo XIV is the progressive erosion of social trust. When people are no longer sure about what information is true, the very foundations of democratic dialogue are weakened. Pope Leo XIV warns that, without a shared reference of verifiable facts, it becomes much more difficult to build consensus, strengthen institutions, and resolve conflicts peacefully.
Artificial intelligence and military power
The application of artificial intelligence in the military sphere occupies a prominent place within the encyclical of Pope Leo XIV. Pope Leo XIV considers this issue to represent one of the greatest risks associated with contemporary technological development. For Pope Leo XIV, the advancement of artificial intelligence in the defense sector raises ethical challenges that cannot be ignored and that require urgent international reflection.
AI-based military systems can analyze enormous amounts of information, identify potential targets, and coordinate operations at a speed impossible for human beings. Several countries are investing significant resources in this type of technology with the aim of gaining strategic advantages. However, Pope Leo XIV warns that the increase in these technological capabilities may also heighten risks associated with armed conflict and global stability. In the view of Pope Leo XIV, military innovation must be subject to clear ethical limits and effective oversight mechanisms.
However, the development of autonomous weapons raises moral questions of enormous importance. Pope Leo XIV asks who should assume ethical responsibility when a machine participates in a lethal decision. Likewise, Pope Leo XIV raises doubts about how fundamental principles of international humanitarian law can be guaranteed when complex algorithms are involved whose functioning is not always fully transparent. These issues occupy a central place in the concerns expressed by Pope Leo XIV.
Pope Leo XIV maintains that the decision to take a human life should never be fully delegated to an automated system. In the opinion of Pope Leo XIV, maintaining meaningful human control over military actions constitutes an indispensable moral requirement. The encyclical of Pope Leo XIV warns that increasing automation of war could reduce the psychological and political barriers that have historically limited the use of violence. For Pope Leo XIV, human intervention must remain an essential requirement in any decision related to the use of force.
In addition, there is the concern highlighted by Pope Leo XIV that an arms race based on artificial intelligence could generate new geopolitical tensions. Pope Leo XIV warns that if major powers compete to develop increasingly autonomous systems, dynamics that are difficult to control and potentially dangerous for international stability could emerge. For this reason, Pope Leo XIV considers it necessary to promote international agreements that establish clear limits on the military use of artificial intelligence.
The concentration of technological power
Another central theme of the encyclical of Pope Leo XIV is the growing concentration of technological resources in the hands of a small number of companies. Pope Leo XIV observes that the development of advanced artificial intelligence models requires enormous amounts of data, computational infrastructure, and funding. These demands favor corporations with greater economic capacity, a situation that concerns Pope Leo XIV due to its possible social and political consequences.
As a result, a few companies hold extraordinary influence over technologies that affect billions of people. Their decisions can determine what information users receive, how certain platforms function, and which applications come to dominate entire sectors of the economy. Pope Leo XIV considers that this concentration of technological power can create significant imbalances and limit the participation of other actors in shaping the digital future.
Pope Leo XIV maintains that this situation poses important democratic challenges. When technological power becomes excessively concentrated, the risk increases that private interests will shape fundamental aspects of public life. According to Pope Leo XIV, innovation may end up being directed primarily toward commercial goals rather than responding to broader social needs. Therefore, Pope Leo XIV insists on the importance of ensuring that technological development benefits society as a whole and not only specific economic groups.
For this reason, the encyclical of Pope Leo XIV advocates for a more participatory governance of artificial intelligence. Pope Leo XIV considers that governments, international organizations, universities, civil organizations, and citizens should play an active role in defining the rules that guide technological development. For Pope Leo XIV, the digital future cannot be left exclusively in the hands of corporate actors, since decisions related to artificial intelligence will have profound consequences for all humanity. The proposal of Pope Leo XIV seeks precisely to promote a more transparent, inclusive model of technological development oriented toward the common good.
Human dignity as an inalienable principle
Ultimately, all the concerns expressed by Pope Leo XIV converge on a central idea: the defense of human dignity. For Pope Leo XIV, this principle must guide any debate on artificial intelligence and any decision related to technological development.
Pope Leo XIV recognizes that technology can increase efficiency, improve processes, and generate new opportunities, but he warns that it must not become the supreme criterion for organizing society. According to Pope Leo XIV, human beings possess an inherent value that does not depend on their productivity, their economic utility, or their ability to compete with machines.
This statement by Pope Leo XIV gains special importance in an era in which some technological discourses present automation as a universal solution to all human problems. The encyclical of Pope Leo XIV reminds us that there are fundamental dimensions of human experience—such as empathy, moral responsibility, solidarity, and love—that cannot be reduced to algorithmic calculations.
Therefore, the document of Pope Leo XIV insists that artificial intelligence must remain subordinate to clearly defined human objectives. For Pope Leo XIV, technological progress can only be considered genuine progress when it contributes to the integral well-being of people and strengthens social justice.
The encyclical Magnifica Humanitas represents one of the most ambitious interventions ever made by a religious leader in the global debate on artificial intelligence. Far from adopting a technophobic stance, Pope Leo XIV recognizes the enormous transformative potential of these tools, but he also warns about the dangers of allowing their development to advance without ethical limits or adequate oversight mechanisms. Through this reflection, Pope Leo XIV seeks to promote a balanced vision of technological innovation, capable of harnessing its benefits without ignoring its risks.
Through his analyses of misinformation, automated warfare, the concentration of technological power, the future of work, and the protection of younger generations, Pope Leo XIV raises a fundamental question: how to ensure that the digital revolution remains at the service of humanity. The response proposed by Pope Leo XIV is based on prudence, responsibility, and the construction of international governance capable of balancing innovation with respect for human rights and human dignity.
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