Pope Leo XIV Calls to "Disarm" AI, Warns of "New Digital Slaveries" in First Encyclical

Pope Leo XIV has released a 42,300-word encyclical — his first major teaching document — warning that the rapid development of artificial intelligence risks creating what he calls "new digital slaveries." The text frames AI as a moral and social challenge that demands urgent ethical guidance and policy responses to protect human dignity.

In the encyclical the pope condemns the use of AI in warfare and explicitly calls for the technology to be "disarmed" when it threatens human life and peace. He also criticizes business practices that place profit above people, writing that "the pursuit of greater profits cannot justify choices that systematically sacrifice jobs."

The document was unveiled in Rome in a presentation that included an Anthropic cofounder, signaling an engagement between the Vatican and leading figures in the AI industry. Media responses highlighted the pope's careful tone: The Atlantic said he "seeks to counterbalance alarm with hope but lands firmly on one side," while The New York Times suggested the encyclical aims less to destroy AI than to shape its future — a consequential test of the Vatican's influence in secular debates.

Central message: Ethical guardrails, international cooperation, and a commitment to human dignity should guide AI development so the technology serves people rather than undermining work, freedom, or peace.

Observers note the encyclical could influence lawmakers, tech leaders, religious communities and public debate as governments consider regulation, military applications and protections for workers displaced by automation.