Pope Leo XIV issued his first major papal encyclical on Monday, titled "Magnifica Humanitas," which calls on world leaders to establish new legal and ethical frameworks to govern artificial intelligence. The document addresses what the pope describes as significant threats posed by AI technologies, including AI-powered warfare, the disruption of labor markets, and the broader social upheaval caused by rapid technological adoption. Pope Leo warned that current safeguards are inadequate to protect human dignity in this new era.
In the encyclical, the pope drew a striking comparison between the current AI revolution and the biblical Tower of Babel, cautioning society against what he called the "Babel syndrome." He defined this as three interconnected dangers: the worship of profit at the expense of vulnerable populations, the suppression of diversity through forced uniformity, and the mistaken belief that digital systems can reduce human complexity—along with its inherent mystery—into mere data points and performance metrics.
The 2026 document covers extensive ground, examining how AI affects employment, military applications, and children's exposure to digital tools. Pope Leo stressed that economic and social disruptions from AI adoption are occurring faster than society's ability to implement proper protections. His central appeal was for "moral and social discernment" that prioritizes human intelligence, conscience, and freedom as the guiding forces behind technological innovation and its application.