Vance Praises Pope Leo XIV's AI Encyclical as Anthropic's Role Tests Trump Ties
Updated
Updated · NBC News · May 26
Vance Praises Pope Leo XIV's AI Encyclical as Anthropic's Role Tests Trump Ties
4 articles · Updated · NBC News · May 26
JD Vance said Pope Leo XIV’s first encyclical sounded “very profound,” backing the pontiff’s call for restraint in AI as “responsible care for the human family.”
The vice president framed the document as a needed moral update for an AI era reshaping work, warfare and human interaction, even as he remains broadly supportive of AI development.
Christopher Olah, an Anthropic co-founder, appeared alongside Leo for the release, spotlighting a potential friction point after the Trump administration ordered agencies to stop using Anthropic over a military-access dispute.
Vance, the second Catholic vice president and first Catholic convert in the role, said the church could provide crucial moral leadership at what he called the start of the “AI age.”
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Safeguarding Humanity in the Age of AI: The Vatican’s 2026 “Magnifica Humanitas” and Its Global Impact
Overview
On May 25, 2026, the Vatican released Pope Leo XIV’s first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, offering a thoughtful response to the ethical, social, and spiritual challenges posed by artificial intelligence. The document sets a vital framework for guiding technological progress while protecting human dignity, especially as AI shapes economic systems. Pope Leo XIV calls for transparency and accountability in how data and algorithms affect important life decisions, such as credit and job opportunities. Magnifica Humanitas urges society to ensure technology serves humanity, not the other way around, and highlights the need for ethical oversight in this rapidly changing era.