Pope Leo XIV on May 25, 2026 released "Magnifica Humanitas" ("Magnificent Humanity"), a 43,000-word encyclical urging governments to slow artificial intelligence development. In the document, the first U.S. pope warned that unchecked AI spreads misinformation, prioritizes conflict, and risks leading the world toward "unending war". He called for AI data ownership not to be left solely in private hands and for robust legal frameworks and independent oversight. [1]
Leo also labeled the "just war" theory "outdated" and repudiated its use to justify conflict, stating that "the use of force, violence and weapons reflects a relational poverty that always has disastrous consequences for civilian populations". He further warned that some leaders might start wars to distract from domestic problems, calling it a "cynical tool for managing difficulties". The pope made a historic apology for the Church's role in transatlantic slavery, acknowledging it as "a wound in Christian memory" , and invoked the Tower of Babel to warn against an AI future built "without God's blessing".
