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Leo XIV's first encyclical asks whether artificial intelligence will build a new Babelâor rebuild Jerusalem.
On May 15, Pope Leo XIV issued his first encyclical, 'Magnifica Humanitas' ('Magnificent Humanity'), focusing on safeguarding humanity in the age of artificial intelligence. This document deliberately echoes his namesake Leo XIII's 1891 encyclical, 'Rerum Novarum,' which addressed economic inequality during the Industrial Revolution. Experts like Dr. Gayle Woloschak from Northwestern University highlight this continuity, positioning AI within the modern Catholic social teaching tradition. Pope Leo XIV stated his intention to view this 'huge transformation' with 'eyes of faith, with lucidity of reason, with openness to mystery and with cries of the poor and the earth resounding in my heart.' The encyclical acknowledges the rapid and profound changes brought by digitalization, AI, and robotics, recognizing technology's dual potential to heal, connect, and educate, or to divide, exclude, and generate injustice.
Reverend Dr. Nicolas Kazarian, Director of Inter-Orthodox, Ecumenical & Interfaith Relations for the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, emphasized the encyclical's broad ecumenical appeal, noting that AI's challenges and ethical questions transcend single denominations. Dr. Sarah Riccardi-Swartz of Northeastern University underscored the encyclical's core message: AI use is not purely technical but impacts rights, opportunities, status, and freedom, thus it is not morally neutral. The Pope expresses concern about society's passive acceptance of AI, fearing that humanity is merely 'watching and waiting' rather than actively questioning its development and implications. Sacred Heart University professor Dan Rober highlights the Pope's call to critically examine and resist potentially negative aspects of AI before it's too late.
Pope Leo XIV frames humanity's fundamental choice regarding AI using two biblical narratives: the Tower of Babel and the rebuilding of Jerusalem under Nehemiah. The Tower of Babel symbolizes a grand human endeavor driven by self-affirmation, sacrificing dignity for efficiency, and aspiring to reach heaven without God. It represents the dangers of uniformity and standardization. Conversely, the rebuilding of Jerusalem signifies shared, selfless labor and collective responsibility, where all members of societyâscientists, entrepreneurs, educators, legislators, and faith communitiesâcontribute. The encyclical's central thesis is that the choice is not simply for or against technology, but 'between constructing Babel or rebuilding Jerusalem,' emphasizing collaboration over individualistic, unchecked technological ambition.
A crucial point in Pope Leo XIV's encyclical is the distinction between artificial intelligence and human beings. He asserts that AI systems do not experience emotions, possess a body, feel joy or pain, mature through relationships, or understand love, work, friendship, or responsibility. The Pope warns that being surrounded by 'frictionless simulations' could lead people to 'gradually lose the very desire to form genuine human connections.' Simulated words, he argues, create only the appearance of relationships, not genuine ones. Gal Beckerman, a staff writer for The Atlantic, interprets Pope Leo's message as identifying AI's threat as dehumanization and passionately advocating for the preservation of essential human qualities, such as learning from errors as catalysts for change, unlike algorithms which merely correct flaws.
Pope Leo XIV extends Pope Francis's concept of a 'technocratic paradigm,' where efficiency, control, and profit dictate societal decisions, noting that this power increasingly resides with private, often transnational, entities whose resources often exceed those of governments. This concentration of opaque power, he warns, evades public oversight. His proposed solution is to 'disarm' AI by severing the link between technical power and governance, preventing it from becoming a tool for economic, political, or military domination. He exposes the hidden human cost of the AI supply chain, highlighting a vast, often invisible workforceâdisproportionately young womenâwho label data and moderate disturbing content for minimal wages, and children who mine rare-earth elements. This, he states, constitutes a new form of slavery. Furthermore, he identifies 'data colonialism' where personal lives are transformed into exploitable information like health records and genetic maps, becoming 'new ârare earthsâ of power' that dictate resource allocation and investment, ultimately treating individuals as cogs in a machine.
Pope Leo XIV makes his gravest pronouncements regarding AI's role in warfare. He unequivocally states that moral judgment cannot be reduced to calculation, requiring conscience, personal responsibility, and recognition of human dignity. Therefore, lethal or irreversible decisions must not be entrusted to artificial systems, as 'No algorithm can make war morally acceptable.' He fears that automation will accelerate and depersonalize killing, lowering the 'threshold for resorting to violence' and fostering a normalization of war. The Pope also addresses the danger to democracy, as noted by Notre Dame law professor Paolo Carozza, who points to AI-driven deepfakes corroding the ability to distinguish truth from falsehood, impacting democratic politics and cognitive freedom.
As an alternative to the prevailing 'culture of power,' Pope Leo XIV advocates for a 'civilization of love,' urging Christians to 'evangelize' the digital world, preserve crucial physical presence, and prioritize the marginalized as cornerstones of societal development. The encyclical's presentation included Christopher Olah, co-founder of AI company Anthropic, which some critics termed 'popewashing,' likening it to inviting robber barons to discuss labor dignity. Olah, however, acknowledged the mysterious and unsettling aspects of AI, including evidence of introspection and internal states mirroring human emotions, calling for ongoing discernment. Dr. Gayle Woloschak highlighted the encyclical's link between AI and transhumanism, noting that for Christians, being 'more than human' is a spiritual vocation of grace, not a technological project. While some critics, like Francis X. Rocca and The Wall Street Journal, found the encyclical overly pessimistic and dismissive of AI's benefits, others, such as The Guardian and Michael Gove, praised its critique of unchecked tech power and emphasized the need for state regulation to serve the common good. Dr. Aristotle Papanikolaou from Fordham University concluded that AI might help humanity embrace its limits, frailties, and finitude with kindness.