Pope Leo to address AI in his first encyclical with Anthropic co-founder
Pope Leo XIV will release his first in-depth encyclical on May 25th. The Holy Father will elaborate on the ethics of artificial intelligence (AI) and the challenges for workers.
Pope Leo XIV holds Inauguration Mass In St. Peter's Square. Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty.
Pope Leo XIV will release his first in-depth encyclical on May 25th. The Holy Father will elaborate on the ethics of artificial intelligence (AI) and the challenges for workers.
On Monday, the Vatican officially announced that Pope Leo XIV’s first encyclical will be named Magnifica humanitas and will clarify the church’s stand on the protection of the human person in the age of AI.
The papal document will be presented at the Vatican’s Synod Hall. It marks the 135th anniversary of the publication of Pope Leo XIII’s encyclical Rerum Novarum (1891), the title of his papal letter on labor, poverty, exploitation, and justice in a rapidly changing world.
Christopher Olah, Co-Founder of AI company Anthropic, will be one of the speakers at the event.
According to John Thavis, a retired Vatican correspondent who covered three papacies, the release of the encyclical marks an important event in Pope Leo XIV’s papacy.
“A pope’s first encyclical typically outlines his priorities, focusing on what he sees as serious social and moral issues for the modern world,” he told Reuters.
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It’s not the first time Pope Leo XIV has addressed the issue of AI. In June 2025, the newly elected Pope warned that AI could negatively impact the intellectual, neurological, and spiritual development of children and young people.
He called AI technology “an exceptional product of human genius” that can be used in positive and noble ways to promote greater equality.
“But there is likewise the possibility of its misuse for selfish gain at the expense of others, or worse, to foment conflict and aggression,” the Pope added, referring to the possible consequences of the use of AI when it comes to the intellectual and spiritual development of children and teenagers.
“Our youth must be helped, and not hindered, in their journey towards maturity and true responsibility. They are our hope for the future, and society’s well-being depends upon their being given the ability to develop their God-given gifts and capabilities, and to respond to the demands of the times and the needs of others with a free and generous spirit,” Pope Leo XIV said in his speech.
He concluded his discussion that the benefits and risks of AI technology must be evaluated according to “superior ethical criterion.”
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