Pope Leo XIV issues 42,000-word warning on AI

May 25, 2026

Pope Leo XIV released a sweeping encyclical warning that AI threatens jobs, human dignity, and global stability — a clear pushback against tech and political leaders pushing fast, unregulated AI rollout.

  • The Pope called for government regulation of AI companies, worker retraining, and education to help students think critically about the technology.
  • He warned that chasing profits cannot justify wiping out jobs, and said mass job loss could create "forced inactivity" that breaks social peace.
  • He demanded humans stay in control of weapons decisions, pushing back against autonomous AI weapons systems being promoted at the Pentagon.
  • He wants stronger protections for children against AI-generated fake, violent, and sexual content flooding the internet.
  • He met with Anthropic co-founder Christopher Olah, signaling the Vatican wants a seat at the table as AI rules get written.

Outlook: The encyclical adds a major moral voice to the push for AI regulation and could pressure governments to slow job-replacing AI rollouts and ban autonomous weapons.

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