Pope Leo to Unveil May 25 AI Encyclical, Targeting Warfare and Workers' Rights
Updated
Updated · Reuters · May 18
Pope Leo to Unveil May 25 AI Encyclical, Targeting Warfare and Workers' Rights
15 articles · Updated · Reuters · May 18
May 25 will bring Pope Leo's first encyclical, "Magnifica Humanitas," a major teaching text centered on artificial intelligence and what the Vatican called protection of the human person.
The document is expected to condemn AI's use in warfare and offer some of the Church's fullest guidance in decades on workers' rights as automation reshapes labor.
Leo will present the text himself at the Vatican — a break from papal practice — alongside Anthropic co-founder Chris Olah, whose company has pushed limits on military AI uses.
Signed on May 15, the 135th anniversary of Leo XIII's labor encyclical, the text signals Leo XIV's priorities after repeated warnings about AI and criticism of technology's role in conflicts from Ukraine to Iran.
With a top AI founder on stage, will the Pope's message challenge or collaborate with Silicon Valley's vision for the future?
As AI learns to mimic emotion, how will the Pope's new encyclical redefine what it truly means to be human?
Can the Vatican's new doctrine prove human love is more than an algorithm that AI could one day replicate?
"Magnifica Humanitas": Pope Leo XIV’s 2026 Encyclical Sets Catholic Ethical Framework for Artificial Intelligence and the Digital Age
Overview
Pope Leo XIV will release his first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, on May 25, 2026, marking a major step for the Catholic Church in addressing the ethical and social challenges of artificial intelligence and the digital revolution. The Vatican aims for this document to shape global conversations about technology and human dignity, highlighted by the involvement of tech leader Christopher Olah at its presentation. Signed on the 135th anniversary of Rerum Novarum, the encyclical is positioned as a new foundational text, signaling the Church’s commitment to guiding society through the profound changes brought by AI.