Pope Leo’s first encyclical sounds alarm on AI

Pope Leo XIV has issued his first encyclical calling for robust regulation of artificial intelligence. The document denounces the “culture of power” driving the AI race.

The Chicago-born pontiff heavily criticized the concentration of data and power among a few private-sector giants in Silicon Valley, urging developers to prioritize the common good over profit. He spoke against outsourcing lethal warfare decisions to AI systems.

In the 83-page document, called “Magnifica Humanitas,” he cautioned that AI could become the “new Tower of Babel.”

The Pope’s concerns come as industry leaders OpenAI and Anthropic, currently the second- and third-most valuable US private companies, head toward trillion-dollar IPOs.

Elected last May, Leo has long equated the AI revolution to the Industrial Revolution. His new doctrine marks the first papal encyclical publicly presented by a pope himself. Leo made his declaration while standing beside Anthropic co-founder Christopher Olah, highlighting an emerging dialogue between the tech world and the Vatican.