Pope Leo Issues AI Manifesto, Urges Ethical Approach to Technology
Pope Leo Issues AI Manifesto, Urges Ethical Approach to Technology
Publish Date: 2026-05-25 11:06:00
Source Domain: www.globalbankingandfinance.com
Pope Leo’s AI Manifesto Calls for Global Regulation and Ethical Debate
Pope Leo XIV’s Encyclical and the Call for AI Oversight
By Joshua McElwee
Historical Context of Papal Social Justice Documents
VATICAN CITY, May 25 (Reuters) – Catholic popes have been urging global leaders to address social justice issues for 135 years across some two dozen major documents that many of the world’s 1.4-billion-faithful can cite by their two- or three-word titles.
Notable Encyclicals Through the Ages
“Rerum Novarum” from Leo XIII in 1891 called for better conditions for workers in the Industrial Revolution. “Pacem in Terris” from John XXIII in 1963 appealed for nuclear disarmament amid the Cold War. “Laudato Si'” from Francis in 2015 pleaded for swift action to address climate change.
Pope Leo XIV’s Manifesto: “Magnifica Humanitas”
Leo XIV has now added his name to the pantheon, issuing a fervent manifesto on Monday titled “Magnifica Humanitas” (Magnificent Humanity), urging global governments to slow down the development of AI systems.
Expert Commentary on Leo XIV’s Approach
“Like other popes before him, Pope Leo is responding to one of the most pressing social issues of his time,” John Thavis, a longtime Vatican correspondent who covered three papacies, told Reuters.
“Clearly (Leo) wants to help shape the debate over technology and AI, by emphasizing the moral and ethical arguments that centre the human person,” said Thavis.
A year into his papacy, Leo formally signed the text about AI on May 15, the 135th anniversary of his predecessor’s publishing of “Rerum Novarum”, firmly tying the newest papal document urging world action on social issues to the papal text widely considered to have done that first.
Papal Encyclicals: Selection and Significance
The Process of Choosing Encyclical Topics
POPES CHOOSE ENCYCLICAL TOPICS CAREFULLY
Anna Rowlands, a British academic and Church adviser, said at a Vatican event presenting Leo’s text on Monday that for more than a…
