Pope Leo Warns AI Fueling Warfare, Pushes For 'Humanity In Time Of AI'
Pope Leo Warns AI Fueling Warfare, Pushes For 'Humanity In Time Of AI' Published By, Last Updated: May 25, 2026, 22:08 IST Pope Leo launches
Pope Leo Warns AI Fueling Warfare, Pushes For 'Humanity In Time Of AI' Published By, Last Updated: May 25, 2026, 22:08 IST Pope Leo launches first encyclical, partners with Anthropic on AI, warns against AI control by a few and urges strict ethical limits on AI in warfare. Pope Leo XIV shakes hands with Anthropic co-founder Christopher Olah at the presentation of "Magnifica humanitas", his first encyclical, focused on the rise of artificial intelligence, at the Vatican's Aula Nuova del Sinodo, on Monday. (Image: Reuters) Pope Leo XIV on Monday said the church and Anthropic, an artificial intelligence company, will work together to “find the way for humanity, in this time of artificial intelligence". While launching the pontiff’s first encyclical, Leo said the control of AI should not remain in the hands “of a few" while warning that technology is fueling world conflicts.
According to CNN, the proposals in the first major theological document of his pontificate include protecting the distinctive “grandeur of humanity" amid rapidly changing technology and for the use of AI in warfare to be subject to “the most rigorous ethical constraints". The Pope pointed out that the “just war" theory, a four-pronged Christian doctrine stating what conditions justify war, is “now outdated" and military force can only be used for “self-defense in the strictest sense". CNN quoted Pope Leo warning that the use of “force, violence and weapons" ultimately “has disastrous consequences for civilian populations". “The construction of a world in a state of perpetual conflict is an evil and must be named for what it is," the Pope writes, adding that, “Humanity possesses far more effective and capable tools for promoting human life and resolving conflicts, such as dialogue, diplomacy and forgiveness." Previously, the Pope created an in-house study group on artificial intelligence because of the acceleration in AI’s use, “its potential effects on human beings and on humanity as a whole (and) the church’s concern for the dignity of every human being," said the Vatican.
On May 15, he signed his encyclical, 135 years to the day after his namesake, Pope Leo XIII, dated his most important encyclical, “Rerum Novarum," or Of New Things, Associated Press reported. Days after his 2025 election, Leo told the cardinals that the Catholic Church owed it to the world to offer the “treasury of its social teaching" to confront the challenges posed by AI on “human dignity, justice and labour." News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location: Vatican City, Vatican City First Published: May 25, 2026, 22:08 IST News world Pope Leo Warns AI Fueling Warfare, Pushes For 'Humanity In Time Of AI' Disclaimer: Comments reflect users’ views, not News18’s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive.
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