Pope Leo XIV has taken his strongest stance yet on artificial intelligence. On Monday, the Pope released his first papal encyclical – a nearly 400-year-old tradition where the Catholic Church shares its perspective on major issues. This time, across 42,300 words in the English version, Leo warned against “the misconception of equating this type of ‘intelligence’ with that of human beings.”
The timing of this encyclical reflects growing global concerns about AI’s rapid advancement and its potential to reshape society. As tech giants race to develop more powerful AI systems, religious and political leaders are grappling with how to address the technology’s profound implications for humanity.
“These systems merely imitate certain functions of human intelligence,” Pope Leo stated. “In doing so, they often surpass human intelligence in speed and computational capacity, offering tangible benefits across many fields.” But he emphasized the fundamental differences between artificial and human intelligence.
The Pope continued with a detailed explanation of AI’s limitations: “So-called artificial intelligences do not undergo experiences, do not possess a body, do not feel joy or pain, do not mature through relationships and do not know from within what love, work, friendship or responsibility mean. Nor do they have a moral conscience, since they do not judge good and evil, grasp the ultimate meaning of situations, or bear responsibility for consequences.”
He noted that while AI can “imitate language, behavior and analytical skills, or even simulate empathy and understanding,” these systems “do not understand what they produce, for they lack the affective, relational and spiritual perspective through which human beings grow in wisdom.” The Pope presented these remarks alongside Anthropic co-founder Christopher Olah, highlighting the collaboration between religious and tech communities on these issues.
The encyclical addresses one of the most pressing concerns about AI development: the concentration of power and wealth. Leo stated that governments must “establish adequate regulatory tools capable of upholding justice and curbing the distorting effects of technological power.” He emphasized that wealth is already concentrated in the hands of very few people, and it’s up to governments to ensure AI doesn’t make this worse.
The Pope outlined several specific areas where regulation and oversight are needed:
- Ensuring humans, not AI, make all decisions related to weapons
- Protecting workers from systematic job loss due to AI, with retraining and employment protections
- Creating an “educational alliance for the digital age” to teach young people critical thinking about AI
- Protecting youth from “violent or degrading” AI-generated content, grooming, and sexual exploitation
Despite these concerns, Pope Leo’s stance isn’t entirely critical of AI technology. He stated that AI shouldn’t be seen “as a force antagonistic to humanity.” If carefully managed, he said, it could “open up a horizon extending in all directions.” This balanced approach reflects the Church’s recognition that AI has legitimate benefits when properly governed.
The Vatican has already shown practical support for beneficial AI applications. In February, the Holy See teamed up with language service provider Translated to offer AI-powered live translations to Holy Mass attendees, demonstrating how the technology can serve the Church’s mission when aligned with human values.
This encyclical comes as governments worldwide struggle to create effective AI regulation. The Pope’s intervention adds moral authority to calls for oversight, potentially influencing policy discussions among the world’s 1.3 billion Catholics and beyond. His emphasis on preventing further wealth concentration through AI monopolies aligns with growing antitrust concerns about big tech companies.
